From Thief to Legend
by The1Guy
Summary: Talon is a notorious thief and murderer from the Noxian slums who believes there is nothing more to life than the struggle for survival. He receives a rude awakening after meeting someone who challenges him to a duel; that there is more to life than survival. Forced to assimilate, Talon agrees out of respect for the man who spared his life. Unfortunately, different struggles await.
1. A Rainy Day in Noxus

Another rainy day in Noxus...if it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. At least my target hasn't noticed me, and if he was smart he'd leave his store now before I grow impatient. Hunger does seem to put a strain on your sanity, and damn I'm pretty hungry, hell I might even be starving. I pay no attention to the rain pounding my face, or the sting of my stomach yelling for nourishment of some form and keep my eyes locked on my target...good. He's beginning to leave, just need him to get some distance before I can make my move towards his store and steal me some food. As soon as I can no longer see him in the stormy night I make my move towards the door. Let's see...a simple iron lock, child's play. Idiot shopkeepers just make it too easy for scavengers like me to break in.

_*Click*_

I make a small smirk once I begin to remove the lock from the door and make my way inside the shop. At the sight of all the fresh produce my stomach begins to beat me from the inside. Easy boy...we're about to feast. I grab a shopping bag off the floor and make my way up and down the rows of fresh food, grabbing anything I can get my hands on. Once I reach the row of apples I can no longer take the wait and begin to chow down on the delicious fruit. What can I say? Apples are my favorite. My stomach is definitely satisfied now and has thankfully stopped the onslaught of inward punches. Now I can focus...and I'm glad I can now that I've sensed someone else walking into the shop. I keep my back turned for now and assess the situation...let's see, only one way out through the front door and I'm at the back of the shop armed with a small pocket knife while holding a bag full of fruits. Some would say the odds are not in my favor, but I've been around the block a few times so that should even the playing field. I guess my only option at the moment is to face my current opponent, who seems eerily quiet at the moment...I'll just keep my back turned for a few more moments before I act. I knew my time was running out once I heard the all too familiar cock of a revolver. Whoever this person is, they must not be from Noxus if they're using a firearm. I take one last look around me before I come out with my plan...I'll just have to let this person fire all six shots from their revolver before I go in for the kill.

Is this plan dangerous? Yes.

Is this plan stupid? Of course.

Is this plan going to work? I'm not sure, but I'll find out soon enough.

And with that I dive behind the closest vegetable stand, dropping my bag of food in the process but at the same time startling my assailant into firing off one shot. One bullet down, five to go. I take a look around the corner and see the person for the first time...for whatever reason the shopkeeper, who I thought had left, came back. He also took the opportunity and attempted to blast my face off, but luckily, I moved my head back in time before the bullet could connect. Four left to go. I reach my hand and grab whichever fruit or veggie from the stand I'm currently hiding behind and take it down to my lap. A potato, eh? Lucky me, my impatient side of me has taken over and changed my plan to a more...fun one shall I say. I need to move quick since the shopkeeper has seemingly found out the game I was originally attempting to play with him. He's on the move. Now's my chance, please connect potato! I quickly jump up to my feet and throw the spud at the shopkeeper's face with intense force. The blow from the vegetable causes him to stumble backwards and I reach for my knife in my pocket. In one quick flick of my wrist, the beautiful feel of a weapon in hand gives me the adrenaline needed to slice the knife at lightning speed across the shopkeeper's neck. A perfect cut. The blood doesn't even begin to pour out until he hits the floor. There's not a doubt in my mind he'll bleed out in the next minute or two. That's become sort of a signature of mine, people will know who was here by the perfection of the cut on his neck. But that's not what's on my mind at the current moment.

Someone must have definitely heard the gunshots, so I grab my bag of food and head off into the rain once more. Now that I've got some food, my next task is finding some shelter for the night. Normally I'd sleep in Noxus' many underground passages, but thanks to the rain, those passages should be flooded with 3 feet of water by now. I sigh at the thought of my normal "home" being uninhabitable for the night and head to another spot I knew of. It's an abandoned shack for hiding out for a short time that an old Noxus gang would use. But thanks to yours truly, (me), they were wiped from existence granting me access to their little hideouts I could use from time to time for shelter. I sort of regret killing off those gang members since the people now know of a boy who's capable of killing multiple people without leaving a single shred of evidence that a person was there at the time of the murders. What was the name they began to call me? Blade's Shadow? Pretty lame, but at least most people who can recognize my work know not to get in my way. I just wish they'd call me by my name...Talon. Not exactly sure what my full name is, all I know is that my name is Talon, and I'm all alone in this world. This cruel, horrible, disgusting world. My age I'd have to guess 16...So I unfortunately, have a while till I die of old age. Maybe if I'm lucky something will do me in before then. I pray, even though I don't believe in God, that I'd die to someone who has proven better than me in combat. What ever...I shrug those thoughts off as soon as I reach the shack.

It's a very cramped space, and insanely cold during the night, but it should protect me from the down pour going on outside, so I make no complaints as I remove my wet clothes; leaving me in nothing more than my boxers and undershirt. I lay my head down onto the hard, wooden floor of the shack, and think of a better place than Noxus until I nod off into sleep.


	2. The Blade's Shadow

**8:45 a.m. Noxian High Command, Office of Jericho Swain**

It's a clear and wet morning following the rainstorm last night, when a man is walking with a quick, yet smooth pace down a hall covered top to bottom in marble. In his hands he is carrying a massive file labeled, 'The Blade's Shadow'. He turns down a narrow corridor branching off the main hall and stops at a door with the name 'Jericho Swain' engraved at the top. After taking a deep breath, he knocks calmly on the door and then waits for a reply.

"Yes?", is all that comes from the other side of the door.

"General Swain, it's Captain Wilhelm, I have some urgent news that requires your immediate attention. May I have permission to enter?"

"Well if you believe it's urgent news, Captain, then by all means come in."

Captain Wilhelm slowly opens the door and makes his way into the office shutting the door behind him. He then walks up to a desk where a man petting a massive bird as if it were some sort of lap dog, and places the file he was carrying on the desk.

"Sir, we have had five more incidents concerning the rumored 'Blade's Shadow' in the last two days. The guards we sent last time to deal with the problem have already lost two of their men to this...thing, and we fear that the rest of that unit will be wiped out soon if we don't send in reinforcements who know how to handle someone of this caliber."

General Swain seems to be more interested in the bird he is holding than what the Captain has to say, but still listens to his words. He stands up and moves the bird to a roost by his desk, and gently places the bird down.

"Those morons can't deal with a lowly street rat. No wonder the Noxian slums are like a war zone for survival," he heads back to his chair and begins to write something on a piece of paper, after which he opens the file the Captain placed on his desk and takes out a handful of photos. Each photo showing the same trademark cut on the throat of various victims that has made the 'Blade's Shadow' somewhat of a legend in the ghetto. He takes the letter and photos and stuffs them all into an envelope, sealing it tightly and stamping it with the symbol of the Noxian High Command.

"I want you to take this to the house of Du Couteau, just outside of the main gates bordering Noxus. By carriage it should take you no longer than a half-hour to get there. Once there hand this to General Du Couteau and tell him this street rat is his problem now."

General Swain then hands the envelope to Captain Wilhelm, and with a quick salute, the Captain makes his way out of the office and towards the house of Du Couteau. Swain leans his head back and sighs.

"We really need to stop hiring idiot guards..."

**10:00 a.m. House of Du Couteau**

Even though it is a Saturday, everyone in the mansion seems to be up and hard at work keeping the massive home clean and polished. Many servants though, are catering to the needs of two girls on a dining table that could fit a whole army, yet only three chairs are set at the table. The two girls seem to be enjoying a large breakfast fit for kings, including eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast, and a wide variety of fruits. They say nothing as they eat until the red-headed one breaks the silence between them.

"Cassie, do you know where father is? He's missing out on breakfast."

"He said something about talking to someone from the Noxian High Command, and that he'll be down as soon as he finishes." At hearing this the red-headed girl makes a disappointed face to which the other girl instantly notices.

"What's wrong Kat? You can tell me, sister to sister, and don't try and tell me you're ok because I can easily read your emotions like a book." Kat glares at Cassie for a short time before giving in and telling her sister her troubles.

"I've come so far in training, and have made some enormous progress; progress which I've actually surpassed my teacher in knife throwing and hand to hand combat, but father isn't around as often since he's been working so hard lately, I just want some praise from him..."

"If it's any consolation, Kat, I'm impressed. I mean I have no idea how to fight, let alone wield a weapon, and you don't need daddy's praise to know that you're going to be as good as him in combat one day, maybe even better!" The red-headed girl was taken back a little by her sister's words of kindness, and all she let out was a small smile.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast, Cassie," was all Kat said while giggling to herself.

"There's the sister I know," and with that they both begin to laugh until they hear the sound of a door shut from the upstairs corridor. They both look up in the sounds direction and see two men walking out of the hallway and down the stairs.

"Don't worry Captain, tell Jericho I'll be sure to handle it."

"Yes, sir. General Swain will be pleased to hear of your confidence on handling the situation."

"Have a good day, Captain."

"You too, General Du Couteau," and with a quick salute, Captain Wilhelm was off again. The man left standing at the door had a very upbeat look on his face. He then turned to the direction of the two girls and began to walk towards the table.

"Sorry I'm late girls, my meeting ran a little bit longer than expected," the man took the empty third seat and servants quickly came out to help him, handing him a plate, utensils, and a serving of everything on the table. Immediately he began to enjoy his breakfast. Cassie then looked at her sister expectantly, but Kat didn't seem to catch on to what she was implying.

"Tell daddy what you told me," was all she silently mouthed. Kat then spoke up, causing General Du Couteau to look away from his meal and towards his daughter.

"Father, I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear of my progress in training! I've surpassed the skill of my teacher and I was wondering if I may now train with you and your personal assassins?"

General Du Couteau took a napkin and wiped his mouth off before he spoke.

"I am very proud of you Kat, but I don't think you're ready yet to handle the training to become a killer like my elite. You're still 15. Your time will come, just not yet," with that Kat made another disappointed face to which her father also caught on to instantly.

"I'll tell you what I'll do for you...I'll find someone who you can train with that will be a worthy opponent, and partner. But don't let my words now discourage you from training hard, like I said, your time will come, just not yet."

Her father's reassuring words led her to give a big smile.

"Thanks daddy!" She said as she got up, hugged her father and went off to her room.

_"But first I need to do something about this 'Blade's Shadow'...guess I could send some of my elite out to quickly deal with this problem,"_ thought the General as he was finishing up his breakfast. _"Those cuts on the throats are absolutely amazing...whoever this person is, might actually give my elite a hard time..."_


	3. Bring Me a Real Challenge

I have to keep moving, I don't have the energy to take on all these idiots chasing me...need to lead these soldiers apart and take them out one by one. Easier said than done unfortunately, one wrong turn in these alley ways and you'll hit a...

Shit. Of course I run into a dead end...

"End of the line 'Blade's Shadow'," was all one of the soldiers said to me. Got to think quickly...I turn to face the guards who were chasing me. Five burly men who easily tower over me in height stared daggers at me. They do not look like the types I can intimidate.

"There's a massive bounty on your head, boy, and if you turn yourself over to us we'll be sure to only beat the living hell out of you instead of killing you right here!"

Ignoring what he says, I reach into my shoe and pull out a small throwing dagger. The dagger gives me the confidence needed to go on the offensive and I immediately lunge for the closest soldier. He sidesteps my attack but wasn't ready for my follow up; a backwards slash to the throat instantly killing him. I saw at the corner of my eye a downward slice with a sword, to which I roll over and almost roll into another soldier's powerful blow. I parry the blow and kick his sword out of his hand and jump up and stick my dagger into his heart. Another instant kill, but unfortunately I don't have the time to yank my dagger out before another slice is heading my direction causing me to dive in the direction I kicked the sword. As soon as I pick up the sword I am put on the defensive, blocking attacks from all directions, waiting for one of the soldiers to make a mistake. After countless parries I find the opening I've been waiting for when one of the soldiers brings his sword up to try and hit me from above. One huge lunge and I pierce the soldier's stomach and push my way out of the position they had me cornered in. Knowing he won't be of use while he internally bleeds out, I turn my focus to the two opponents left. They have stopped going on the offensive and are waiting for me to make a move. We stand our grounds and just stare at each other for what feels like hours when in reality was only a few seconds. After playing our little staring contest, I catch both soldiers off guard when I suddenly, with renewed vigor, begin my onslaught of constant and powerful hacks and slashes. The weaker of the two cannot keep up with my attacks and begins to falter, giving me enough space to hit him twice, one across the chest, and another across the neck. Only one soldier left to go. At the sight of his comrades fallen around him, he drops his weapon and runs off into the night. Ha, not even worth my time to chase I think as I grin to myself. I begin to search the bodies for money, or anything of value that I can easily carry around with me. Right before I begin my search I hear a light cough and I immediately jump into a fighting position. All I see left is some light movements from the soldier I left incapacitated when I stabbed him in the gut. I grab my sword and walk over to him. He looks as if with some assistance he could pull through this injury, and a part of me wants to help him. Those thoughts leave my mind when images of him cornering me and sending nonstop attacks at me emerge in my mind. As I look over him, he looks as if he wants to cry.

"Please...have mercy." Mercy, eh? No...you fought me like a soldier, you die like a soldier. It's funny, I think to myself, Noxians pride themselves on the thought of strength above all. Yet, when push comes to shove, we all are left with the basic concept set by nature, survival of the fittest. And so, I smile at him. Any hope he had that I may have mercy leaves his eyes.

"Live and die by the blade," I calmly say as I pierce the sword into his heart. Once I can no longer feel the steady vibration from a heart beat on the sword, I remove it from his chest and use his shirt to clean the blood off the steel. And now to search the...

"Not bad, 'Blade's Shadow', not bad at all."

Oh fuck me, what now...

"You are as skilled as they say. You've faced many people I'm sure, but I'm more than positive you have yet to face someone like me."

I can hear this man's voice...but where the hell is it coming from?

"Look up."

As I look I see a shadowy figure falling from above aiming right on my position, so it leaves me little time to dodge, but by pure luck I dive out of the way and land clumsily on my back as I'm able to get a good look of this new comer. Covered head to toe in black, he keeps a hood up and has a mask covering most of his face, save for his eyes. What catches my eye though, is his weapon. It's a blade that seems to be attached to his right arm. The blade itself looks as thin as a piece of paper, but the shine reflected off the moonlight tells me that this thing is insanely sharp, and could cut through mostly anything with ease.

"Are you done examining me, 'Blade's Shadow'?"

Oh how I loathe this man already...what the hell does he want since he has yet to attack me?

"Well, let me introduce myself! I am one of General Du Couteau's elite assassins, codename 'Bishop'. My mission here was supposed to be a simple extermination of a murderer known as the 'Blade's Shadow', but seeing as what happened to those other unfortunate fellows, I'm guessing this isn't going to be as simple as it sounded. So, what do you say? Come at me whenever you're-"

I don't let him finish what he has to say and attempt to get the jump on him since all I heard from his boring speech was the extermination of me. At first it looked as if my attack was going to connect, but with speed I've never seen before, he easily evades and sends his blade fist flying at me with intense force. I barely make it in time to parry the blow, before I'm sent on to the defense for the second time tonight. However, this man alone is more of a challenge then those five soldiers combined. I'm now being consistently pushed further and further back attempting to block all of the lightning fast slashes. He looks as if he's having no trouble keeping up his current pace, in fact, he looks as if he's going easy on me.

"I'll admit, kid, I was kind of surprised to find those soldier's chasing a young boy claiming he was the 'Blade's Shadow'. I thought they were just about to murder an innocent child so I followed them here to this alley and was about jump in and save you. But then, things got interesting when you began to beat all five of them with a puny little dagger," how the hell is he talking while keeping his pace steady, "you see, as soon as I saw you fight, there was no longer a doubt in my mind that you are the 'Blade's Shadow."

Things are not looking good for me...my arms are beginning to wear out. Bishop then gets a jump start for an even more powerful swing, which I successfully block but in the process I fall over and lose hold of my sword. As I'm laying on the ground, Bishop lunges forward and sends a direct stab with his blade down towards me. In desperation, I roll away and send a kick to his face, dazing him long enough for me to pick up my weapon and send three swipes to his side. He parries two but one connects and cuts him up good at the side.

"Inconceivable...that's it, boy, no more holding back! I don't care if I use up all my energy on criminal scum like you, I will take great joy in killing the rat who thinks he can touch me!"

I smirk, I finally got the break I was waiting for. He's obviously in pain, and his attacks are no longer as quick, but they are more powerful. As long as I dodge his slashes I should be able to find an opening on him.

"Stand still and die, rat!" Oh man he's mad...perfect. Only makes this more fun. As his attacks get more wild and sloppy, I begin to make minor cuts along his body that he can't seem to block quick enough, but soon they begin to add up. He's gradually getting slower and I take the offensive now. I send a wave of paced attacks, so I don't use up too much energy, and he still seems to have trouble parrying those attacks. Once I realize that he is struggling to parry my relaxed swings, I surprise him and send a powerful stab into him that he couldn't block in time. The sword made a connection, and entered from his sternum, and exited out the back. A perfect pierce all the way through. His face is in utter shock, rather than pain.

"To lose...to nothing more than a peasant...impossible..." After a cough of blood spurts out of his mouth, there is silence. I remove the sword from his body and he drops to the floor like a rock. My eyes begin to slowly drift over to his weapon that has had me interested since I first laid eyes on it. I put my current sword down and lean over Bishop's body and remove the laces connecting the blade to his arm. No wonder he was able to swing at me with such speed. This blade feels as if nothing is there. I don't even bother searching the other bodies as I make my way towards the Noxian underground, excited to test out my new "toy".

**The Next Morning, 9:30 a.m. House of Du Couteau**

Two shadowy figures, covered in the same armor as Bishop, stand outside a door labeled 'Marcus' Office', they open the door quickly and head straight to the man standing by the window with a cup of coffee in hand, and eyes locked on the scenery outside the window.

"Morning, Scarlet, and morning, Ghost. Any word on the location of Bishop? All the other elites who were sent out last night returned earlier this morning." At the same time, both Scarlet and Ghost looked at each other and nodded.

"Sir, we found Bishop and four Noxian soldiers dead in an alleyway just a few hours ago. After talking to the Noxian guard station in the area, a survivor of the battle tells us it was, without a doubt, the 'Blade's Shadow'." At hearing the mention of that name, General Du Couteau quickly finishes the last of his coffee, and dismisses Scarlet and Ghost.

"To think one of my elite, even with the assistance of Noxian soldiers, could lose to a common thief...this person had my curiosity, but now they have my attention." General Du Couteau makes his way towards a door disguised as part of the wall, opens it up and takes out a more elegant version of his elite's armor.

"I'm just going to take my chances and see who this 'Blade's Shadow' really is..."


	4. First Encounter

Oh man...I think I'm in love with this weapon I imagine as I swing the light blade fist around me. As the sun begins to raise, a beam of light seeps through a sewer grate and hits me in my eye. Morning already? I didn't even get any sleep thanks to all the excitement this weapon is giving me. In fact, I still have a ton of energy in me...guess I'll get my day started and go out for some food... Wait a moment...how in the hell am I supposed to conceal this obvious thing?! Aw shit! I can't believe I forgot that I need to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible, and with this thing I'm sure to be noticed right as someone sees me!

I sit down on my little mat I set up for sleep, and begin to think of how I will go about concealing my new weapon. If I walk in the street I'm bound to stick out and gain attention from people...but if I weren't out in the open like I normally am with my little daggers, I should be fine... Guess I better get myself adjusted with rooftops cause that seems to be the only way I'll be able to put this weapon into use. Once I figure out how I'm going to be working for the day, I begin to get ready. Even though I have no set home or on occasion sleep in the sewers, I still do what I can to maintain basic hygiene habits. I set my blade to lean against the wall as I use it as a mirror. Next I grab a canteen and a toothbrush I keep near my mat and pour some water in my hair and wash out all the dirt and dried blood from last night's fiasco. After pouring some water on my toothbrush, I begin to scrub off any crap that would get caught in my teeth for whatever reason. I take one more look in the "mirror", and smile as I think that at least whoever gets killed by me, at least they die to a damn good looking guy like me.

I head out to a manhole I know of that leads into an alleyway and begin to wonder, "Why is my confidence peaking today?" Oh well who cares, I feel as if I can take on the whole world for some reason. I wander around the maze of alleyways until I finally come across a ladder leading to the rooftops. The thought of fresh fruit in my mind begins to make my stomach grumble...down, boy, food is on the way!

**Nearby on the Rooftops**

General DuCouteau stands on a ledge and pans his head left to right slowly, observing everything in eyesight.

"It's been quite some time since I've been this far into Noxus...and I have to say this isn't good at all...how the hell am I supposed to find someone who is nothing more than an urban legend in this damned city..."

The sound of someone climbing a ladder on a nearby rooftop interrupts his thoughts, so he looks around to see the location of the noise. All he finds is a young boy wearing a worn out black hoodie, faded jeans to the point where they look almost white with some hint of blue, and a pair of converse sneakers that look as if they are going fall apart any moment.

General DuCouteau was about to dismiss this boy as nothing more than a peasant child until a bright light reflected from the sun bounces of the boy's right arm. The boy takes a quick spin to look around, and to the General's surprise, was a sword exactly like the one he gives out to his elite strapped to his arm.

"That possibly couldn't be one of my elite's weapons...maybe the boy just owns a blade exactly like my elite. No...I call in custom orders to the official blacksmiths of the Noxian army. This isn't just a coincidence I'm sure."

The General then begins to make sure he keeps his distance as he tails the boy from rooftop to rooftop.

"He's pretty quick...I just need to get close enough to confirm my suspicions of that weapon belonging to my elite."

After five minutes of jumping around on the rooftops, the boy finally comes to a stop, crouches down, and focuses his stare on a fruit stand down below. The General just observes him for the time being when suddenly the boy leaps down from the rooftops and on top of the fruit stand. The vendor begins to yell a whole barrage of curses and foul language until the boy places the blade at the neck of the vendor and says something the General couldn't hear. The vendor hands him a shopping bag, then fills the bag with coins from the day's current sales, and then a whole handful of apples. The boy then hits the vendor across the face with the broad side of the sword, knocking the vendor out cold.

The General was amazed how fast everything happened. This boy must be a skilled thief, further rousing his suspicion of him being the 'Blade's Shadow'. Lost in thought, the General is snapped back into attention when the boy is quickly climbing up another ladder and going back to jumping from rooftop to rooftop. The General is having a hard time keeping up until the boy takes a quick look around then sits down with his back to a wall, takes off the blade, and begins to eat apples from the bag while observing the city.

As the General gets closer and closer, he finally confirms his suspicions of this boy being the 'Blade's Shadow' when he sees a bishop design from the game of chess imprinted on the blade. This is the boy who killed Bishop and those other guards. In fact, this is the boy responsible for many other murders as well. He is the boy who was able to become a legend among thieves in the slums, and a rumor whispered about in the Noxian High Command. He is the boy who is able to beat any opponent in combat whether or not the odds are in his favor. Yet, here he is, completely oblivious to his surroundings enjoying an apple as he watches the city skyline. The General was absolutely confused and needed answers, so he jumped down to the rooftop next door to the boy. The boy looked right at the General, but didn't get up. He only slowly pulled the blade closer to him.

"So...you're the fabled 'Blade's Shadow' I'm assuming?"

**5 minutes earlier**

Finally, I found a fruit vendor in this shitty city...hey that accidentally rhymed. I smirk to myself as I think about my little joke. My mind finally goes blank once I begin to think of a plan on how to go about robbing a fruit vendor in broad daylight. My only option is to sit and wait until no one's around, so I crouch down and wait for my opportunity. After a short time waiting, I can no longer see anyone around so I get up and jump down on top of the stand's makeshift roof and jump down once again to come face to face with a very, very, pissed off vendor.

"You damned peasant! Who the hell do you think you are having the fucking NERVES to jump onto MY little shop! I'll have you know I kick the shit out of disrespectful customers, so you better have a good explanation for yourself!"

I smirk and pull my blade out and place it across his neck. He immediately goes silent, and all the color seems to vanish off his fat face.

"If you'd like to live, it would be smart to give me all the money you have, and some of those apples to go."

Any anger he had seemed to transform into fear. He silently complied, grabbed a shopping bag and began to pour all of his earnings from the day into the bag, then topped it off with a handful of apples. Just so he doesn't go calling for help while I'm in the area, I grab the bag then use the flat face of my arm blade to smack him, instantly dropping him into silence. Oops...did I kill him? Oh well who cares, time to eat!

I make my way down a nearby alleyway and head up another ladder, back to the rooftops, but stop once I reach the roof. I've had the feeling of being watched all morning for some reason, so just in case I head into a sprint jumping quickly from rooftop to rooftop. After a few minutes of running I'm confident that if someone really was watching me, they were far behind now. So I take a deep breath, and sit down with my back against a wall. I remove my blade, and reach into the bag of apples and money and take out a ripe red apple. I begin to eat as I watch the city in front of me and think to myself.

"If only Noxus looked like this everyday..." It was true, today is an unusually beautiful day. Normally the clouds are blackened with pollution from all of the factories building armaments for the Noxian military. I sit and begin to get lost in my thoughts when I hear a sudden noise on a nearby rooftop to the right of me. A man who is wearing something similar to that "elite" assassin begins to slowly make his way towards me. His face isn't covered by a mask like the other guy's was, so I'm able to see his face as clear as day. This man's half brown half gray beard hints to me that he is middle aged. He has no look of hostile intent in his eyes, but I slowly pull my blade closer to me just in case. He then hops onto the roof I'm sitting on and stops.

"So...you're the fabled 'Blade's Shadow' I'm assuming?"

What does he want? I finish my apple and stand up leaving my blade in hand, but I don't strap it in yet.

"You've caused quite a stir up at the Noxian High Command. They're all scrambling about like chickens with their heads cut off, wondering how they're going to fix up incompetent soldiers who can't even seem to stop a so called peasant. I think they should start by not underestimating any opponent."

The man lets out a light chuckle and begins to speak once again.

"Well you see, you have had my curiosity once I've seen your...work...in photos. But now, I've had to meet you since I've heard you've defeated my own elite assassin and five Noxian soldiers."

Wait a second...HIS elite assassin? Is this guy the one who is the leader of that crazy quick guy last night? If so then I might be in trouble...

"I was told from a friend in the Noxian High Command to have you killed, but I have other ideas...I want to challenge you to a duel. No tricks, no gimmicks, just two warriors going at it."

Challenge me...to a duel? This is very suspicious, so I keep eye contact with this man while I strap in my arm blade.

"I'm taking the fact that you're strapping in that blade as an acceptance to my challenge?"

He's an odd man, but I silently nod my reply. I can tell he won't leave until I fight him.

"Great! It has been a while since I've met someone who would willingly duel me, so I won't hold back."

He reaches behind his back into the cloak of his armor and pulls out two intricate swords, one for each hand. At the bottom of the blade where it meets the hilt of the sword, a lone D is imprinted on both swords. He does a quick swing with both swords and smiles at me.

"I'll let you lead off with the first attack. Begin whenever you're ready."

At hearing this I quickly bolt full speed at him and send a flurry of attacks that would normally catch the average person off guard, but he easily begins to match the speed of my attacks. I was expecting him to parry but not with the ease he seems to be doing it at.

"Not bad, you've got quite some speed on you, now...how are you on the defense?"

And with that he reverses the momentum of my barrage and sends it back to me with twice the speed. I'm struggling to match the speed and power of his blows yet I somehow manage for the time being.

"Interesting, guess I need to up the difficulty since you can block me at this speed."

Wait what...OH FUCK. His speed and power I was barely managing to parry has just doubled once again. He looks as if he could go even faster and stronger, but is only raising the intensity slightly to test out my capabilities. This is my absolute limit; I'm not going to be able to keep up if he goes any faster. Suddenly, he lifted his right sword above his head in an attempt to bring it downwards, while his left sword is coming in for a side swipe. I roll to the right and evade his double team attack where I find an opening while he tries to reel in his swords. I send a quick slash to his face, to which he barely manages to dodge after I make a quick cut across his right cheek. He then jumps backwards getting some distance away from me and feels his freshly inflicted wound.

"Hmm, I seem to have gotten careless. Good job finding my mistake and acting upon it. No more limiting myself, let's see how you manage when I go all out."

He then takes a huge leap at me and begins an onslaught of attacks that I can barely see. I can't handle it, and after about ten seconds of him on the offensive, a blow aimed at my neck misses since I had to use up the last of my luck to dodge it, but thanks to that being the last of my luck, I stumble backwards and land on my back. Before I can attempt to move, the man places his foot on my arm blade and a sword at my neck.

"Looks like I win."

So, I guess I die like this, eh? Not a bad way to die in my opinion. I've finally found someone who was better than me. I close my eyes and prepare to die, so I wait...and I wait...and I wait... What the hell? I open up my eyes and I see him still standing over me with his swords sheathed now, but with his foot still on my arm blade.

"You're not going to kill me?" I ask.

"Ah, so you do talk. Good, this will make everything so much easier."

"Will make what easier?"

"Well, you seem to be a man of honor. And since I beat you in the art of combat, I'd like to ask you some questions if you'd be so kind to answer them."

Ha, why should I answer this man's questions! But then again...he did beat me in a fair fight. And I have some questions myself I'd like answered.

"Depends on the questions..." Was all I muttered out as my yes.

"Well first...do you have any family?"

What an odd question.

"No...I've lived by myself for as long as I can remember."

"Interesting...where do you live?"

Again with the weird questions...

"I don't have a home...I just sleep wherever there's shelter."

"Alright, last question...how would you like to be trained by me to hone your skills into perfection."

Wait what...did he just ask for me to be his student? To hone my skills into perfection...if I were to learn how to fight like this man I'd be... WAIT! No... No...I work alone...I don't need help! But...he did beat me...maybe we can work something else out?

"What are my other options?"

"You spend the rest of your life in prison, caged in a cell like a wild animal, with little to no food given to you and no access to the outside world."

Well ain't that some shit. Guess I got my hands tied now...

"Fine...I'll be your student, on one condition! I take orders from you, and only you. No one else can attempt to control me."

"That can be arranged. We've got a deal then, kiddo!"

Before I can even get up, he uses his foot to slide my arm blade off of me, and then picks it up.

"Sorry, but this one isn't yours. I'll have one made for you if you'd like...umm...shit, ok for real this time, last question. What's your name, boy?"

"Talon."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Marcus DuCouteau. You can just call me Marcus."

Marcus then shakes my hand and leads me off the roof and we begin our walk towards a nearby carriage service station. We walk in silence for most of the way.

"You ever rode in a carriage, Talon?" I silently nod my no, and he smiles.

"You ever see a mansion?" Again, I silently nod my no, and his smile gets bigger.

"Well, hopefully you can adjust to the huge jump in social status now..."

Just what exactly have I gotten myself into...?


	5. New Beginnings

I can't help but fidget around inside the carriage. It's very odd for me to be travelling like this. I've spent my whole life running across rooftops or walking around at the dead of night just to get from point A to point B. On the other hand Marcus seems to be doing just fine, in fact, he seems to find it amusing about how uncomfortable I am.

"Talon, before I show you where you will be staying from now on, I need to tell you a few things about my home."

"Wait, I'm going to live with you?" I don't remember this part of the deal...

"Well of course, how else would I teach you to become a legendary assassin?"

Hmm, well this is certainly...surprising, to say the least.

"You're comfortable with letting an absolute stranger live in your home?" How trusting is this guy anyways? I could just slit his throat at night and just take off into the night, never to be seen again.

"Well, with you it's different," he then drops his cheery attitude he's kept, and brings it to a more serious tone, "I know your type, Talon, you feel as if you don't need anyone in your life to help you survive in this world... I should know because I was the same as you. When I was a little bit younger than you, I lost my father after he was sent to fight against the Demacians in a war that has been long since over with. My mother, stricken by grief, committed suicide, leaving me as an orphan to fend for myself. I began to hate the world, wondering how could my parents, the ones who were supposed to take care of me, and love me, just abandon their child to take on a world in utter chaos. I became a pretty skilled thief like yourself, just to put food in my stomach, but there were nights where I went to bed in pain cause I didn't have anything to eat. Once I was of age at 18, just to have somewhere to go, and some food, I enlisted in the Noxian military. I didn't have any personal hatred against Demacians like most Noxians do, but I wanted to survive. There in the military, I excelled due to my past life of hardship, helping me rise through the ranks at a rate that caught the interest of a young officer named Jericho Swain. He was a young man at the time who was a savant when it came to planning tactics and missions. Most of the tactics used in Noxian warfare, even today, were planned by Jericho himself. He took me in to a secret team he had brought together named the Crimson Elite. There I learned that not only can a single individual be strong, but when brought with others as a team, you fight for them as well as yourself."

"I'm confused...what does this story have to do with me?"

He looked outside the window of the carriage and a small smile began to form on his lips.

"Like you, I thought that I didn't need anything but a blade and my own wits to survive and be strong. But once I had a team that was like a family to me...I became stronger just to protect them, and they did the same."

He then looks at me and goes back to the cheery tone he had for most of the time I've known him.

"That's why I sympathize with you, Talon. You're like me...you just need a family to call your own."

I need...a family?

"I...I don't need a family...I just need to train! I can get stronger on my own!" What is this crazy man playing at? I've seen countless weak people beg for me to spare them 'for their families'. A family is a crutch, not a strength.

All Marcus does is chuckle at my statement.

"In time, you will learn the power a family can give you..."

In time, hmm? Well no matter, he still hasn't told me what he was originally going to say.

"Wait, Marcus, what were you going to tell me about your home?"

As Marcus was about to answer, the carriage comes to a sudden stop.

"Well you'll just find out for yourself." He then exits the carriage with a smile on his face. I slowly follow him out. What I see leaves me in awe. It's a house...a very, very, VERY big house.

"Marcus...this doesn't look like a house a soldier could afford..."

"Well I was a soldier years and years ago...now I'm one of the generals of the Noxian military!"

Oh that explains the size of this place and all the guards buzzing about...WAIT WHAT!

"Did you just say a general...of the Noxian military, Marcus?"

"Yes! Why do you seem surprised?"

"CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A BIG PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU LEFT OUT, MARCUS!"

"Oh, well don't pay too much mind to it! I'm still a soldier at heart!" So, I'm now in the mix with a general. This doesn't seem too good...

"Just wait out here, I need to inform my guards that you're not a threat, and tell my servants to ready a room for you immediately. So, in the mean time, take a look around the yard, it's a very nice place where everyone in my household relaxes."

And with that Marcus begins to walk down the long path leading up to his home and steps inside. I'm left out in this enormous yard while being eyed carefully by every single guard who sees me. I ignore their glares and do as Marcus told me, and begin to wander around the yard. I aimlessly wander for a short while until I come to a sight I thought I'd never see...a tree...that has APPLES growing on it! I couldn't believe it! Apples that were coming from a tree! My curiosity gets the better of me and I run up to it and begin to pick some apples off the lowest hanging branches. I take a bite and I am in heaven. These apples are so much more fresh than the ones you find from a vendor in the city. So, I sit under the shade of the tree, enjoying all the free apples this tree has to offer.

**Inside the House of DuCouteau**

Cassie is about to head out the door to her favorite spot to read during a nice day, under their apple tree in the yard, when she suddenly spots a boy in ragged clothes eating their apples. She begins to wonder if the boy is a thief...but he isn't doing much stealing and the guards haven't stopped him yet. Just who is he? She takes a closer look through the window and is taken back by his looks. His short, black hair and slightly tanned skin. Even though he looks to be the same age as her, he is pretty muscular. He looks like a prince in peasant's clothing! This makes her even more interested in the stranger in her yard, so she steps out the door to see just who he is.

**Talon's Thoughts**

"I...fucking...love...apples! I've heard rumors of people baking them into a pie...one day I will have to try it!"

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a door opening. I look over and see a beautiful, young girl walking towards me. Her blonde hair, and fair white skin tells me she is, of course, royalty to an extent. Marcus never informed me of a girl being here...damn him.

"What are you doing?"

I look up at her and she is standing right next to me...she's pretty quick.

"Just eating some apples."

"I see that, what I mean is, what are you doing at my favorite reading spot?"

"Oh, it wasn't my intention to steal your spot. I'll leave if you-"

"You don't have to leave. There's more than enough space for two people." She then shoots me a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. She picks an apple for herself then sits right next to me.

"Who are you?" Do I answer that? I'm not sure about giving up my name to two people in one day...

"Before I answer, tell me who you are first."

"Cassiopeia DuCouteau, but you can call me Cassie for short. Pleasure to meet you." DuCouteau? Is she a relative of Marcus?

"Do you know who Marcus DuCouteau is?"

"Well of course I do! He's my daddy."

Daddy?! Marcus never informed me he had children! Damn it...that man!

"Now, who are you?"

"Seeing as you're that man's daughter, I guess I do owe it to you to give you my name... I'm Talon."

"Another question, how do you know my daddy?"

"Well...I think it would be best to ask him yourself cause I don't know if we were supposed to meet yet...or even supposed to meet at all."

She gives me a pained look, but her smile doesn't falter. She then gets up, and begins to head for the door.

"Talon, follow me."

For some reason, I comply. She leads me to the door, and we step inside. Once inside, I'm again in awe. The room we stepped into seems to be some sort of relaxation room with many comfortable looking seats, a fireplace, and a wall full of books reaching all the way to the ceiling. Cassie puts the book she was holding in an empty spot on the second row of the wall of books and then motions for me to follow her once again. We then go into what looks like the main foyer of the house. There we find Marcus talking to a guard. He sees us coming in and then shoots us his signature smile. He faces the guard once again and dismisses him before walking over to us.

"Hello my beautiful, Cassie! I see you met, Talon already!" He then gives Cassie a hug and a kiss on her forehead, making me a little uncomfortable.

"Daddy! What happened to your cheek!" Oh shit, I forgot I cut him up pretty good on the cheek.

"Ha! Don't stress over this, I just got a little careless during work. Do you know where Kat is, Cassie?"

"I think she's in her room practicing with her throwing daggers again." There's another person? And one who practices with throwing daggers? I'm sort of intrigued now...

"Well, could you go get her. Tell her that I found her the training partner that should be quite the challenge for her." Cassie then looks at me, with a surprised expression.

"Wait...he's the partner you picked for Kat?"

"Yes, and he'll also be living with us from this point forward!" Cassie's face then goes bright red, and she tries to say something but she only lets out inconceivable gibberish. Marcus then tells her once again, to go get whoever this Kat person is. She looks at me once more and gives me a luscious smile and stare that makes me very nervous. She then runs up the stairs and out of my sight.

"Well, it looks like she's taken a liking to you already, Talon." What the fuck is this man saying? That's his own daughter!

"Umm, yeah... Marcus, who is Kat? You said something about me being her training partner."

"Oh yes! She's my oldest daughter, and has surpassed all the teachers I've hired to train her. She is quite skilled when it comes to assassinations and sneak attacks. But, she isn't ready for me to train her personally like you are. So instead, you're going to practice with her till she gets ready for me to train her!"

Before I can ask any further, I hear the sound of two people walking and I focus my attention to the second level above. First, I see Cassie who looks at me and waves. Then, I see another beautiful girl following Cassie. She looks at me then at her father, then whispers something to Cassie. This girl's bright red hair, and pale white skin makes her look fragile, but on closer inspection, I see a belt around her waist with each slot filled with a dagger. Her looks are very deceiving from who she truly is. And as she walks down the stairs, I think that this girl is my partner...my teammate...the one who will one day become a legendary assassin like me...and she's absolutely beautiful.

"Father, please tell me you're joking when you say this street rat you picked up off the street is going to be my partner!"

Oh, and I guess she's a bitch, too.


	6. Start of A Partnership

**A/N:**** Thanks to everyone who's read my story so far! I also appreciate the reviews, follows, and favorites! It's my first story so it means a lot to me! I'll do my best to not disappoint, and have so far taken every criticism given to me in the reviews and adjusted them accordingly. Without further ado, here's Chapter 6!**

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"Father, please tell me you're joking when you say this street rat you picked up off the street is going to be my partner!"

"Kat, I'd like you to meet Talon. This boy is...what's the word I'm looking for...a prodigy! Yes! He even managed to get a very good hit at me during a little duel we had!" Marcus then shows Kat his cheek and she immediately goes silent.

"This...peasant? He managed to hit you? Not even I can do that! Actually...not even your elites could do that!" Kat then begins to glare at me, she's no doubt sizing me up to see if what Marcus says is true. "I refuse to believe that..."

"Well, I did, and you better believe it." Oh god why did I say that. I'm only throwing fuel on the fire. Her eyes then look at me, and I can see a hatred that even the Noxian/Demacian hatred couldn't compare to.

"You...how dare _you_! You're nothing more than a filthy dog my father picked up off the street! Having my father say that you're going to train with me is an insult to my skills!"

"Then let's have a duel right now. If you win, I'll tell your father that I can't be your training partner, subsequently locking me in prison for the rest of my life," Kat's eyes light up at hearing her prize for winning, while Cassie and Marcus look unsettled by my choice, "if I win...then I'm here to stay as a reminder of your loss to a 'street rat'."

"Ha! Fool, I never lose! I gladly accept!"

With that, Marcus leads us down a hall I never even noticed, and stops to open a very large set of wooden doors. Once inside I realize that this is an arena of some sort. At the center of the room is a small dirt ring surrounded by rows of chairs. The little blood stains in the dirt tell me that battles in this arena can get pretty dangerous.

"Talon, since Kat is going to use her daggers, I'll let you pick which weapon you would like to use in the arena." Marcus then slides open a part of the wall, which reveals a vast array of weapons. I take a look and notice there are no swords or daggers. Mainly axes, staves, and clubs.

"Go on, Talon. See anything you like?"

"No, I'm not familiar with any of those weapons. Is it alright if I use my fists?" I hear a small chuckle from Kat.

"I suppose you could. Just be warned, Katarina is very skilled when it comes to throwing daggers, so any weapon would be better to block rather than dodging."

"I'll be fine." I then look at Kat, and her smug face makes me want to kill her right here and now. But I calmly walk in to the arena, followed by her, and then wait for the duel to begin.

"The rules are simple, Talon. First person to yield, be knocked unconscious, or thrown out of the circle, loses. You will begin on my say... BEGIN!"

Once Marcus tells us to begin, Kat quickly jumps high up and tosses three daggers at me. I roll out of the way, easily evading her first barrage, but she's quick to attack again sending another two flying my way as I get up. Again, I easily dodge. I'm beginning to find it hard to believe that this girl is able to surpass her teachers. She then charges at me with a dagger in each hand and begins to send a wave of attacks at me. None of them gets anywhere close to me as I just evade, evade, and evade. She's beginning to get frustrated, so I think if she were to lose focus I could make my move and toss her out of the ring. So I begin to taunt her.

"Is this really all you got? It feels as if I'm dueling an elderly blind man." Her swings then get more reckless, so I continue to taunt.

"Come on, tell me when you're going to start trying!" Her face goes red with anger, and her swings get even more reckless, so I send the finishing blow to her pride.

"Your father vouched for you, telling me you were talented. Oh how disappointed he must be to see his daughter lose to a peasant..." With that, I send her over the point of anger that she lifts up one hand with the dagger pointing downwards to bring it in to a stab, but I grab her arm before it can connect and lift her up. She's so light! I then use both hands to swing her and toss her out of the ring.

"Winner, Talon!" I look over at Marcus and Cassie standing on the sidelines. Cassie is applauding and jumping up and down, while Marcus gives me a silent smile and nod. I then look at Kat who slowly gets up and gives me the most hateful look I've ever seen in my life. Not even my victims have shown so much hatred towards me. I give her a small smirk.

"Looks like I'm here to stay...partner." I then turn my back to her and head over to Cassie and Marcus waiting for us by the door, when I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my shoulder. Cassie and Marcus both look completely shocked, so I look to see the source of my pain and lo and behold, I've got a jagged dagger with a 'D' imprint on it stuck in my shoulder. I then look at Kat who is smiling at me.

"Glad to have you here...partner." Well played, bitch. As Marcus begins to scold Kat, and Cassie runs up to me asking if I'm alright, Kat and I just keep eye contact on each other. I then yank the dagger out of my shoulder without showing any sign of my pain, causing Kat to cringe and Cassie to scream. I begin to walk towards Kat with the dagger in hand, making her begin to show some fear. As I reach her, I look down into her eyes and as calmly as possible tell her this.

"The only thing stopping me from killing you right now, is the fact your father was the first person to ever beat me in a fight..."

"Talon, please let me show you to the infirmary, you-"

"I'm not finished talking, Marcus. I'll do as you say once I'm done. As I was saying...let this dagger be a reminder, that the next time you pull a stunt like this...being Marcus' daughter or not, I will kill you." I then place the blood-soaked dagger in to Katarina's hand. The look she gives me is no longer anger, but fear. As Marcus shows me out, I take one look back and see Kat frozen. Cassie then follows us to the infirmary, leaving Kat alone in the arena.

**2 Hours Later, Infirmary**

After Marcus and Cassie showed me to the infirmary, a physician gave me some stitches and a few pain killers, causing me to fall asleep on one of the mats in the room. As I slowly begin to wake up, my chest feels heavy, and my arm feels numb. I look down and am surprised to find Cassie laying next to me. She's asleep but as I slowly begin to try and move her, she starts to wake up as well. She yawns, and wipes her eyes then looks at me. At first her face is indifferent, but then it suddenly begins to go red as she screams.

"T-T-T-Talon! The doctor said you were supposed to be asleep for 3 more hours!"

"So you were trying to lay next to me as I was unconscious?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She repeatedly yells I'm sorry as she runs out of the room with her face as red as a tomato. What an odd girl... So, since I'm awake I might as well take a look around my new home. Once I remove the sheets covering me, I notice I'm no longer in my old clothes, and that I'm wearing the all black armor of Marcus' elites. I don't think I've ever owned clothes so fresh and new. I don't even bother thinking about who changed me and I feel good about what I'm wearing. So, I begin my trek around this massive house feeling pretty good. As I step out of the infirmary, I come in to a long hallway. I take a left, as that was the direction I remember going to for the infirmary and finally make it back to the main foyer. There I see Marcus sitting in a very comfortable looking chair, smoking a cigarette. He hears me walk in, so he closes his book and puts his cigarette out in a nearby ash tray.

"Ah, glad to see you awake! How are you enjoying the new clothes? I told the doctor to just get rid of all your old clothes, but if you feel like you need anything else just let me know."

"It's fine, Marcus, I see that you kept the converse on me."

"It actually matches so well, so I got you a new pair. Also, your room is finally prepared, if you'd like to see it." My own room? I'm not sure how to respond. I've never had a set place to sleep, so I'm pretty excited.

"Follow me, if you will. Also, I hope you don't mind, but Cassie begged me to put your room next door to hers." At hearing this I stop in my place. That girl...and this man...does he not care that his own daughter is attempting to violate me? Or is he completely oblivious to that fact... Once Marcus stops, he motions for me to open the door in front of him. I do as he says, and I am surprised once I step inside. The room is massive! It looks pretty empty right now except for a large bed in the center of the room, accompanied by a large wardrobe filled with the same armor I'm currently wearing and converse.

"You can decorate the room however you like from this point on." Marcus then smiles at me and leaves me in the room. I look out the one window I have and notice the sun has gone down while I was napping in the infirmary. With nothing more to do I decide to go to bed. I strip down to my boxers and try to go to sleep. I roll on to my back on the large bed and stare at the ceiling.

"Ok...you just close your eyes...and fall asleep. Why can't you do it, Talon? This bed is very comfortable! In fact, it's the most comfortable thing you've ever laid down on!"

I shake my thoughts out of my head and get up. I grab the blanket off my bed and go to the corner of the room and curl up on the hardwood floor and instantly knock out.

Ah...the perfect bed...

**6:00 a.m. Monday**

Like clockwork, I wake up at the break of dawn. I grab a fresh pair of armor and shoes and head to the bathroom right across the hall from me and begin wash my short hair. I forgot my toothbrush in the sewers, but I find a peculiar bottle on the counter labeled, 'mouth wash'. So, as the directions state, I pour some in to my mouth and swish it around then spit it out. My mouth is then left with a very strong minty scent. Once I feel confident enough, I step out of the bathroom and then run in to Cassie. Her face then immediately goes bright red.

"Cassie, what are you doing up so early?"

"Oh...Kat and I have school... What about you?"

"It's a habit, I'm not used to sleeping in. In the city I would always get up early, no matter what." Cassie isn't even paying attention to me, she's more focused on what I'm wearing and she seems to be thinking of things I don't want to imagine. Since she doesn't bother listening to me, I look at what she's wearing. She has a beautiful, short, pink night dress on. and her hair is a little bit messy which makes her look a little bit childish, but it's still cute.

"You look cute in your night dress, Cassie." She snaps out of her thought and looks up at me with a embarrassed look. She then smiles and pushes past me in to the bathroom and shuts the door. I head downstairs to the main foyer and my stomach begins to grumble.

"Morning, Talon." I turn around to hear who's acknowledging me and I see Marcus coming down the stairs. "My servants should be starting to cook breakfast soon so you'll have to wait for a bit. Come, sit next to me and talk!" Marcus then sits down on the same chair I saw him in last night, and lights another cigarette. He then motions for me to sit in the chair across from him, so I do. "Talon, that was pretty impressive beating my daughter yesterday with your bare hands. That's why I consider you ready to be trained by me, and not her. I don't want a word about me training you to reach her ears, you understand? It would absolutely devastate her."

"I understand, while fighting her I noticed that her emotions get the better of her. So I know how I'll help her get prepared. I just need to piss her off until she learns to ignore what I'm saying." Marcus then starts to laugh.

"Well, just don't get her too mad. She goes overboard sometimes...like that knife in your shoulder. Let me apologize for her."

"Don't apologize, I may have gone too far with my taunting, and that was on me."

"How humble...that will get you far in life." He then takes a puff of his cigarette and blows three smoke rings in the air above him. "While Cassie, and Kat are at school, I'll train you with my elites. You will be my apprentice, which automatically puts you in command of my elites as well. If you need anything done, be sure to let them know." While Cassie and Kat are at school? So much sneaking about with my training, I feel a little bad for Kat.

"Marcus...what's school like?" Marcus looks at me a little funny, but then gives me a warm smile...I swear this man does nothing but smiles.

"Well...I'm not sure if it's for you...but I think I could pull some strings and you could accompany Cassie and Kat to school to see for yourself."

"Sounds interesting."

"Just as long as you don't go about killing the other students. Cause the school my daughters go to...they're pretty rough on those who aren't as well off in life. I'm not worried about you of course! I'm worried you'll cause trouble over someone acting snobby towards you!"

"Words don't cause me to act violent. I only act when I know they're a threat to me."

"I'll take your word for it." The smell of sausage, bacon, and eggs begins to fill the air, causing my stomach to growl again. "Just for today, I'll let you accompany Cassie and Kat to school. Now, let's go get some breakfast."

Don't cause any trouble at school...please, who does he think I am?


	7. School of Memories

**A/N: Sorry this update took longer than normal! Football season at my school started up again so I have practice until 6:30 then I come home and have homework to do! I find time for this story though because it's fun for me to write. Without further ado, chapter seven! Thanks again for all reviews, follows, and favorites! They mean a lot to me!**

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For the first time in my life, I couldn't eat anymore. Five pancakes, three eggs, a piece of bacon and sausage, and a bowl of sliced fruits. Sitting across from me, was Kat. She hasn't said a single word through breakfast and hasn't even looked up from her plate. I begin to feel sorry for her thinking that I may have said too much.

"Alright, girls, your carriage is ready. Don't be late to school, and Talon," As I give my empty plate to a servant cleaning up the table, I look at Marcus, "don't do anything crazy." I give Marcus a silent nod and pull my hood up and put the mask connected to my armor on to conceal most of my face from the strangers awaiting me at school. Cassie then yanks me out through the door and in to the carriage. Slowly followed by Kat who remains silent, she gets in to the carriage, sits down, and just stares out of the window. I decide it would be best to leave her alone for now so I sit next to Cassie who begins to talk to me about showing me off to her friends or something stupid of that sort. I hardly pay attention to Cassie and her ramblings. My mind is on Kat who looks absolutely devastated over me beating her.

"Kat, it was wrong of me to say what I said. It was just me testing your ability to stay calm like me in a fight." My words don't even seem to click in her mind as she stares blankly out the window. Whatever, I said my apologies, and if she doesn't want to accept it that's her malfunction.

We arrive at the school at 7:45, so we have some time to relax before classes start at 8:00. Kat walks in to the main building leaving Cassie and I behind.

"Talon, why do you have your mask on."

"I'd rather not go around showing my face to a school full of strangers."

"Masks aren't allowed on school grounds, sorry. Besides, like it or not you're going to get a lot of attention with my daddy's elite armor on." I comply and take off the mask, and lower the hood.

"Is Marcus' elites really well known?"

"Well of course! They're the best assassins in Noxus! Having that armor on means you're the best of the best." Cassie then gives me a sly smile. "Plus you look really good in it..." She then yanks me and tells me she's going to introduce me to her friends. As Cassie is dragging me through the school yard, I begin to notice that a lot of the guys are glaring at me and whispering to each other.

"Cassie, do you happen to be popular with the guys here?"

"Well I don't really talk to any of the guys, but from what I've heard, guys think I'm very attractive for a freshman." Great...more unwanted attention. Just what I wanted.

"I believe they're all getting the wrong idea." Cassie looks up at me.

"Good, I want them to." Of course she does... Cassie then begins to wave at a table of girls, who open up a spot for Cassie and I, but I don't sit. These girls are all beautiful, and they're all wearing dresses made out of fine materials such as silk, satin, etc. They must be as rich as the DuCouteaus.

"Hey everyone! Happy Monday!"

"Cassie, you seem very cheery today," the girl talking to Cassie is a black haired beauty, with lightly tanned skin. If only she had less make up she might be perfect in appearance.

"Who's your friend, Cassie," another black haired girl, her eyes are an obviously fake blue thanks to something in her eye, begins to look at me with curiosity, as do the other girls. Cassie looks at me expectantly. I don't know what she wants, so there's an awkward pause for a few moments until Cassie speaks up.

"This is Talon! He's an amazing guy my daddy met in Noxus!"

"Oh, so your daddy found you a guy he deemed worthy of dating finally? He's so handsome!" What the fuck, that's so off. I want to say something but I'd rather not converse with anymore strangers, so I hold my tongue but I make my scowl at the girl let her know she was wrong.

"I wish...he'll learn to love me one day..." Cassie then looks at me and gives me a stare that pierces right through me, making me feel as if I couldn't move. It made me uneasy. Learn to love her...that's very...creepy. Thankfully I was saved by the bell, so all the girls got up and left for class. I was left to roam around the school for a bit, to see what it's like. As I'm walking, I hear some voices around a corner. I stop and listen in for a bit since they don't seem to be talking like friends. I hear a few male voices...and one female...

"Come on, can't you just give us guys a little kiss...we admire your exotic look."

"Just fuck off, I'm already late to class... Hey! Let go of me!"

"That's not a very nice way to talk to your admirers...guess we'll have to teach you some manners..." Perverts. The lowest of the low... I've always made sure to enjoy the satisfaction of ridding this world of those scum...but I can't kill students...guess I'll just enjoy beating the shit out of them. I step around the corner with hands in my pockets and find three burly guys cornering a tanned girl with white hair. The biggest of them has her arms in his hands.

"Nothing lower than some petty sex offenders...I'd recommend you let her go and leave now, or else." I say it so calmly it unnerves them. The man with the girl's arms lets go and faces me, followed by the other two.

"I _know_, you aren't saying that to us."

"Ha-ha, yeah, only an idiot would talk to us like that!" They begin to move towards me. The girl just stays back and watches with a frightened expression on her face.

"I'm going to assume you're not going to leave her alone. Meaning you'd like the 'or else' option?"

"I'm going to kick your cocky ass!" The biggest of them sends a right hook right to my face but I easily dodge his punch, and send a flying roundhouse kick to his face launching him backwards. The other two both charge at me with full speed, so I jump upwards and use their heads to give me the momentum needed to jump even higher and come down with insane force in an axe kick to the thug on the right of me. The only guy left looks around him to find his buddies knocked out, then looks at me. I glare at him and don't even move.

"Oh come on, I didn't even use my fists. Would you like to be the first to try them out?" With that he turns around and runs off. Worthless scum. I'll find him later. I turn around and get a good look at the girl. She definitely is exotic! Her skin is caramel colored, with a rare snow white hair color. Her eyes are emerald green and they're staring at me. She doesn't move and looks at me with a thankful and shocked expression. I don't say anything to her and turn around to leave. Man...why do I have a soft spot for pretty girls...oh well might as well finish touring the sch-

"Wait!" I feel a light pull on my arm. "A-a-are you by any chance, Talon?" How does she know my name? I turn around to face her and she's gotten up, and is very close to me. She's looking down to the ground but I can see that she's blushing.

"How do you know my name?"

"O-o-orphanage..."

"Orphanage?"

"Were you at a Noxian orphanage about five years ago?" The question throws me off and I begin to remember some memories that I've long since forgotten...

"Who...who are you?"

"I...I'm Riven...were you at the orphanage or not?"

"I was...how did you know..." Tears begin to rush down her face. Oh shit, did I say something wrong! I'm again thrown off by the girl as she tightly wraps her arms around me and buries her face in to my chest.

"I never got to thank you...Talon."

"Thank me? For what?"

"Helping me escape that awful orphanage!" That's what sets my memories off. I remember now!

* * *

**5 years ago, one of many unknown Noxian orphanages**

_Shit...I got careless in the streets...and here I am being hauled off to one of these damned orphanages. They keep the kids they find with no parents like me in what seems to be a boxed cage. It's very dirty and cramped in here with other peasant children, and I think the kid sitting next to me just pissed his pants... The cart suddenly stops and the door to the back of the cage is opened and we're forced out. Once I step out I'm told to give them my name or else I'll never have the chance of getting adopted. I refuse, so the old hag of a woman taking names down smacks me across the face and tells the guards to get me out of her sight. The guards aren't gentle, and they lift me up and throw me in to an open yard where I see many other kids begin to eye me like predators. I can tell I will not be getting along with most of these kids. I need to get out of here...but how?_

_"So we have some new blood here?" I turn around and come face to face with an unusually muscular boy who looks only to be a few years older than me. Behind him I see a scrawny looking boy, vainly staring at his reflection through a knife. "Every kid needs to earn the respect of others if they want to survive in here. So...fight me!" The boy doesn't even give me time to answer before he socks me in the face. I get knocked to the ground and prepare myself as he charges at me. I roll to the right and send a kick to his face dazing him, so I get up and tackle him to the ground. The boy then picks me up and tosses me to the side. We both get up and I see him rubbing his jaw, but neither of us move. He then starts to laugh. "Not bad, new blood. Few kids have ever been able to hit me. The name's Darius, and this idiot staring at himself is my brother." The boy, who seems to have paid no attention to our little scrap, glances at me then goes back to admiring himself._

_"Draven's the name, looking good's my game." He then gives his knife a kiss and puts it in his pocket. Darius smacks his forehead, looking embarrassed for his brother._

_"Ignore my little brother, he's a little...extravagant. Well forget the details, what's your name, kid?"_

_"T-"_

_"WHO THE FUCK STOLE MY FOOD!" I'm interrupted by intense shouting coming from inside a building in the distance. All the kids in the yard begin to rush towards this building labeled 'cafeteria'. So do Darius and Draven, so I follow. Once inside I see, a massive brawl going on. Darius reaches the door behind me, and smiles at the sight of the fighting._

_"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! GET READY T!" His shouting stops once he dives in to the mess, dragging Draven and I with him. Once I'm in the center I see Darius tossing kids left and right as if they're nothing. I'm then blindsided by a punch to the face, then a kick to the stomach and another punch to the back of my head. I was knocked to the ground and I can't seem to stop the brutal onslaught of punches and kicks coming from every which way, so I start swinging wildly in every direction. No matter where I punched or kicked, they all connected since we're so cramped together in this madhouse. After my flurry I find an opening back outside so I make a break for it. On my way out, I spot two guards, but they aren't doing anything to stop the fight. In fact, they're just watching and laughing. I step outside and find a girl being stomped on by some kids. I normally wouldn't help, but that's a cowardly tactic to gang up on a opponent who isn't even fighting. So I charge at the kids and kick the one closest to me in the back of the head. An instant knock out. The kids stop their stomping and then head inside the cafeteria and in to the fray. I walk up to the girl and find her unconscious. I just couldn't leave her there, so I picked her up and begin to head towards the opposite direction of the fight. I keep walking until I find a bench sitting under a tree, far from any other kid in this orphanage. I place her down on the bench, and then I sit down on the floor, next to the bench. What an insane first day at this place... I sit and think to myself, hoping to think of a way to escape from this place. I get lost in my thoughts and the sun begins to fall as the moon begins to rise. I look at the girl, who's still not awake. I can't just leave her here while she's vulnerable...so I decide to stay. My eyes begin to get heavy, and sleep catches me by surprise. At the crack of dawn, I wake up as the sun begins to rise. The girl is still unconscious, so I take my two fingers and put it to her neck I feel a light beating so I know she's still alive. I have nothing else to do but continue to think about how to escape so I stay with the girl. After a few minutes the sound of light movement snaps me out of my thoughts. The girl who was once in a deep sleep seems to be fully awake and assessing her current situation. She takes a look at me sitting on the floor, and wraps her arms around her body._

_"You didn't...you know...do things to me?"_

_"What the fuck, the thought never even crossed my mind. You're lucky I pulled you out of that fight, so the least you could do is thank me." Her face relaxes and begins to blush in embarrassment. She releases the grip on her body._

_"I'm sorry...thanks. You never know what could happen in this place while asleep." Yeah, no kidding. "What exactly happened?"_

_"I don't know the details, but some massive fight broke out of nowhere and as I was stepping out I saw a group of kids stomping on you. I decided to get you out of there since you looked pretty battered."_

_"Oh...fights like that happen a lot in this place. I'm assuming you're new here since you actually helped me out?"_

_"Yeah, but I'm planning on busting out of here soon. I don't wish to stay here any longer than I've already have."_

_"Break out? No one's able to break out of here!" What does she mean? Can this girl give me information needed to help me escape?_

_"Why's that?"_

_"Guards are circling the walls of this place all the time. And if that isn't enough, the only kids allowed to leave are the ones who get picked up by the Noxian military and hauled off to god knows where."_

_"Interesting...I think we could both gain something from each other."_

_"Which is...?"_

_"Well, you seem to know how it works around here, and I know how to sneak around. You give me information needed to help me get out of here...and I'll bust you out as well." Her eyes light up at the thought of a chance of leaving here._

_"Deal!" She stands up and sticks out her hand. I get up as well and shake it as our signature to our contract. "Oh, but what's your name?"_

_"Ta..." I think for a moment...knowing each other's names leads to attachment. And I'd rather not get attached to a temporary partner. "Never mind that, it's not important. Just call me 'T' for now."_

_"Umm alright. I'm Riven."_

_"So...tell me more about this place."_

_"Well, this place is run by some widow of an old Noxian general who died a long time ago. So she uses her status and hires guards to watch the kids to make sure they can't leave. What she's doing here is selling off the biggest of the children that come through here to the military, and since new kids come through here every day, the military stops by once a week to see who they want. Those left here are practically left to fight for the amusement of the guards." I'm amazed by the amount of information this girl is able to tell me._

_"How long have you been here?"_

_"Well...for about as long as I could remember..." I think I might have gotten myself acquainted with the perfect person for this mission._

_"When was the last time the military came to buy children?"_

_"The day before yesterday."_

_"So we have a week until those gates open up..."_

_"Good luck getting through them while the military is here. They watch all the kids like hawks and practically block the gateway."_

_"So all we have to do is get them away from the gate..."_

_"Like a distraction?" A distraction...a major fight mixed in with the guards should be enough._

_"I think I know a kid who could help with that." I get up and motion for Riven to follow me. I then aimlessly wander around the open yard until I spot Darius and Draven finishing up a fight with five other kids. It looks as if the kids they were fighting couldn't lay a hand on them. They finish up, bump knuckles, and spot me._

_"Well, well, well. If it ain't the kid who was able to get a good hit on me. Care for a rematch, T?" Darius then gets in to a fighting position._

_"Maybe some other time. I actually want to let you in on a little plan I've come up with that might interest you."_

_"Interest me? How so?"_

_"It involves starting a riot while the Noxian military is here to recruit." He gives me a smirk._

_"Sounds like my kind of plan...you trying to show off to the military or something?"_

_"I plan on getting out of this place." What I say intrigues Darius, and even Draven who finally acknowledges my presence. "Do you two want to get out of here as well?"_

_"I'll decline, T. I enjoy beating on the weak here. As for your plan...I'll help you start that riot." Darius cracks his knuckles and then invites Riven and I to join him and Draven to have some food from their secret stash. As we're eating I let Darius and Draven know the details._

_"We have one week. Try not to do anything stupid before we can put the plan in motion." And so the wait begins. Most of the days I spent with Riven. She told me she had my back if I had hers. And so we did, we kept out of fights if we could help it. Whenever we were dragged into brawls we were watching each other's backs always leading us to be the winners of the fights. I showed Riven the basics of how to fight with a dagger, while she showed me how to harness something called chi to help regulate how much energy I use in a fight. Things were actually pretty enjoyable. Having someone like Riven around to keep me company wasn't so bad, but I always made sure to try and not get too attached. It's Thursday now, tomorrow the military is stopping by to inspect the children they might have an interest in. I call Darius, Draven, and Riven for a quick reminder of the plan._

_"Alright, so the military is stopping by tomorrow. Everyone ready to riot?" They all nod their agreements to the plan._

_"You know I find it weird, Darius." Riven then faces Darius, "You're a big guy who loves to fight. How come you haven't been taken away by the military yet?" Huh, that's actually a really good question. Darius would be the perfect soldier. Darius just smiles, and glances over at his younger brother making different faces in to his knife._

_"Well...let's just say family reasons." Draven looks up from his knife and at us, completely oblivious to our conversation._

_"I know Draven is a good looking guy, but when you all look at Draven like that it makes him feel uncomfortable." Riven and Darius laugh, while I silently nod my head. Such an idiot...he's lucky to have a brother like Darius. The sound of a fight breaking out across the yard catches Darius's ear so him and Draven go off to fight, leaving Riven and I sitting alone on the bench we first talked. An awkward silence comes over us for a bit._

_"So...T. What do you plan on doing if the plan works..."_

_"Well, I'm probably going to go back to living the life of a thief. It's the only life I know."_

_"Have you ever thought of having...a partner?" What is she getting at?_

_"I've always worked alone. Most partnerships in the slums end up in betrayal." Riven looks down to the ground making a sad expression on her face but she keeps up a smile._

_"Oh I see..."_

_"Why do you ask?" She quickly gets up._

_"No reason. Just wondered if you ever had a partner before cause we seemed to work well together."_

_"We did. And you have my gratitude for that." She blushes and looks away. As the sun begins to fall, Riven and I sit back to back on the bench so our heads don't fall on the cold ground. We want to get some sleep before tomorrow. If we manage to pull off a riot but not manage to escape who knows what'll happen to us._

**The Next Morning**

_The woman who runs the orphanage rounds up all the kids she deems might be of interest to the Noxian military. Darius being one of them is told to stand in a row with all the other kids. Draven, Riven, and I just watch from the distance and wait for Darius to start the fight. As the recruiters enter the gate, they leave it wide open but have soldiers watch the opening. A man dressed in an elegant uniform as compared to the other soldiers begins to walk up and down the row of recruit candidates, questioning each and every one of them. I then see Darius start to slowly shove the guys next to him. They say something to Darius so he picks them both up at the same time and yells, "FIGHT!" and that's what sets off all the kids in the row. They start to savagely beat the shit out of each other. All the soldiers rush to the aide of the well dressed man who was caught up in the brawl._

_"Alright, move!" Riven, and Draven nod and we all charge to the fight. Draven goes to his brother's assistance and joins the fight while Riven and I try and slip past the fighting children. I feel someone bring me in to a choke hold, he lifts me up and I see Riven charge and send a flurry of punches at the boy's gut. He lets go of me so I send a nasty right hook to his face, knocking him out. We find an opening to the gate and make a break for it. I stop to hold off kids trying to fight Riven and I, so she takes the lead. I'm distracted by taking three on one until I hear Riven yell for help. I turn around and find a guard on top of her and her struggling to break free. Something inside me snaps with pure anger. I rush past the three kids I was fighting and go to Draven._

_"Quick, Draven! Give me your knife!" He doesn't ask why and complies. I rush past every kid ignoring all the fighting around me and find the guard dragging Riven away. I bolt at full speed with the knife in hand and lunge at the guard's neck. He can't avoid me fast enough so my knife digs in to his jugular. He lets go of Riven as he slowly drops to the floor. Riven looks disgusted, but thankful._

_"Thank...thank you, T."_

_"Talon."_

_"What?"_

_"My name's Talon." I turn around and find two more soldiers coming at us. They do not look happy that one of their comrades is dead. "Riven, run. I'll hold them off."_

_"What about you? How are you going to get out of here!"_

_"I'll come up with another plan, just go!" Riven turns around to run, but before she does, she grabs me and gives me an emotional kiss, with tears running down her face. She lets go of me and takes off in to the forest surrounding the orphanage. I'll never understand girls, but good luck to you Riven. I face the two soldiers coming at me with swords ready, and I charge full force at them as well. They come swinging at me, so I evade left and right trying to get close enough with my knife. I find an opening when the soldiers miss at the same time, so I send my knife in a quick slash hitting both of them in the neck. The one on the right of me falls to the floor. The soldier to the left of me grips his neck giving me enough time to take my knife and pierce his heart, dropping him instantly. I look around me and see no one is around me anymore, and the fight is dying down. So I turn to the gate and run as fast as I can in to the forest as well. For some reason, Riven is on my mind. I wander the forest hoping that I might run in to Riven but to no avail. She was gone. Maybe it was for the best. Guess I'll just head back to the slums, I work alone anyways. Good luck to you...Riven._

* * *

**Present Day**

All the memories hit me like a punch across the face. How could I forget something as crazy as that?! What the hell is Riven doing here?! What the fuck happened?!

"Riven, what are you doing he-" I'm cut off as Riven grabs my face and pulls me down in to another kiss. For some reason, I don't fight it. I let it go on until she lets go of me. "Riven...I have so many questions."

"I bet you do. Let's get out of here before you ask me anything." And with that, Riven grabs my hand and leads me away from the unconscious thugs lying around. My mind begins to wonder, what else have I forgotten in my past?


	8. Neighbors

"Alright, first things first, what the hell happened after you took off in to the forest? I tried to find you but you were gone." Riven is gripping real close to me and keeping her head close to my body.

"It makes me happy to know you came after me..."

"Yeah yeah yeah, now answer the question. I'm intrigued at the fact you managed to end up at this high class school after spending most of your life in a worn down orphanage."

"Well...when I headed in to the forest, I did as you told me and ran. I wanted to turn back but I knew this would be my one chance for freedom, and you wanted me to take it. So I just kept running even long after my body was exhausted. After what I assumed was six or seven hours of moving, I finally came across the Noxian market place. I've never been in the city...I've never been anywhere before now that I think about it. I was lost. Instead of resting my legs, I just kept wandering until I decided I needed to find food. I've never stolen anything before in my life so attempting to take food was a terrifying experience. I couldn't even manage to do it. So I spent my first day in the streets hungry. I lucked out one day when I finally mustered the courage to try and take some food. I was caught by the woman running the fruit stand, so she took me by the arm and dragged me out in to the street attempting to find a guard to take me away. I thought I was for sure going back to an orphanage, but instead a woman dressed in a fancy Noxian officer uniform paid for my food. She asked me where I lived and where were my parents. I told her I had no home or parents. She told me girls should never have to steal food, so she was kind enough to take me in to her own home and show me the ways of being an elegant Noxian woman. Instead I took a liking to the life of Noxian female warriors. This seemed to please the woman who I came to acknowledge as my master, she didn't think I was the warrior type with my looks. The woman turned out to be one of the heads of the Noxian Royal Guards, Gremora Aella. She's strict with my training but I know she's doing it out of kindness." I was stunned to say the least. Her story is so closely related to mine that it feels as if this is all a dream. Riven nudging on my arm notifies me that this is most definitely reality. "What about you Talon? I noticed you're wearing fancy armor that I've only seen few people have while escorting the DuCouteau sisters."

"Oh...yeah. Well I was sort of forced in to joining General DuCouteau's elites." Riven looks up at me confused.

"Sort of forced?"

"Eh, I kind of made a name for myself as a thief in the slums. And one thing led to another, I joined the best assassins in Noxus." Well...that's not entirely a lie.

"One thing led to another, hmm?" Riven looks up at me with a sly smile.

"The details are unimportant." She laughs.

"You seem to be the same person...I'm glad." Riven closes her eyes and lays her head down on me. There's a nice, calm silence for some time.

"What's school like, Riven?" My question seems to snap her out of her trance as she remembers where she's at.

"Oh shit! Master Aella will kick my ass if I miss classes again!" She gets up and runs to the door of the main school building. She stops, and faces me once again. "You'll be here after school...right?" I nod my reply. She smiles and heads in to the main building. Personally I believe I've had enough of 'school' for one day. So I head out of the main gate and follow the path that I remember the carriage took to school. I check the shadows and estimate that it's only 9:00 am. School doesn't get out until 2:30 so I have some time to kill. For some reason I feel obligated to go after school and continue conversing with Riven. Wait, why do I feel obligated? I don't need to go back. Shit, I didn't even need to go to school! I'm getting way too far ahead of myself, I'm going to be a weapon, not some child! But Marcus is treating me like I'm more than a weapon...what a confusing situation I'm in. The sound of silent yet quick footsteps interrupts my thoughts. I check around and only see plants, an empty road, and some trees. I keep moving forward but stay on my guard. I know I heard something moving around me. I begin to get more lax as I feel as if I'm getting closer to the DuCouteau home. Again, I stop and look around after I hear more footsteps. I see nothing so I turn my back and begin to walk again, but I throw my body into a roll after I hear the familiar sound of throwing daggers mid flight. I turn back and find some peculiar looking daggers embedded in to the sidewalk. I take a closer look and see the infamous 'D' symbol in all of them.

"It's not fair..." I look up and find Katarina with a dagger in each hand. I can tell by her worn out eyes and red face that she was crying. "My father finds you on the streets, gives you a spot in our home, and everyone sees you as some sort of champion! It's not fair!" Her voice begins to get louder and she sends a flurry of throwing daggers in my direction. They seem to be appearing out of thin air and that's when I feel it. Kat has some magic in her! I barely manage to avoid the wave of knives and I see that I made it out with mostly small cuts along my body. "What does my father see in you?! That he would snub his own daughter's dreams at the cost of gaining some...some," She lets go of her daggers and falls to her knees and begins to cry, "someone who's better than me..." I'm stunned. Even though I've only known Kat for a short time I know I must have hurt her pride pretty badly to have her admit defeat. I'm not very good at dealing with situations like these, but she's going to be my partner. I can't have her emotionally unstable.

"Quit your crying. Your father did nothing of the sort to snub your dreams." Kat looks up at me with tears still coming down her cheeks. "I was originally supposed to be killed by Marcus but instead, with you in mind, he decided that I would be the worthy opponent you deserved. Who cares if I may be more skilled than you, I've had more experience so of course I'd be better." Kat looks confused.

"What do you mean by more experience?"

"Your father hasn't informed you of me at all, has he?" She nods her no. "There's a reason Noxus wanted me dead. I was able to out match any Noxian guard, soldier, even your father's elite. I was a skilled thief in the slums, and anyone who tried to stop me was dead within minutes." Kat was surprised to hear all of this.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You're my partner as of yesterday, and if you ever want to get better, have a goal set in mind."

"A goal...I'm not sure what my goal would be...I've only ever trained to become one my father's elites."

"Then how about you train to kill me one day." Kat makes a small smile when I say that. "We could just pass it off as an accident. I doubt you'll ever kill me though." Kat then jumps up to her feet.

"So cocky! Then yes, I'll make that my goal! You will die by my hands one of these days, you understand peasant!" I make a small smirk, Katarina seems to be feeling a lot better.

"Go ahead and try. For now, I'm heading back home and relaxing till school's over. You should probably go back to school." I turn around and continue walking.

"There's no point in going back to school when my house is right here." I stop and look to the right of me. I was about to walk past a gigantic mansion like this?! I'm an idiot... Kat's laughter as she walks through the gate lets me know she's feeling like new. I follow her and make my way in to the house. The house is completely different than how I've seen it. Servants all over the place are frantically cleaning every spot of the house. I'm not exactly sure what to do so I decide to find Marcus. I ask one of the servants and she lets me know where his office is located. Once there I make my way inside and find Marcus napping on his desk with many files opened. I shut the door behind me and that seems to wake him up.

"Huh...what...oh. Hello, Talon...is school out already?" I nod my no. "What are you doing here then?"

"Well some things happened, and I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Do you know who Gremora Aella is?" Marcus is thrown back a little by my question, but answers.

"Of course I do, she lives across the street from us. she's also the one who supplied the guards to my manor." I was surprised. So, Riven and I are going to be neighbors? Interesting. "You know, now that I think about it...Lady Aella has someone in her home who is kind of like you. Her name was-"

"Riven?"

"Yes...how'd you know?"

"Well, I met Riven in the same orphanage a long time ago. I came back after she made me remember some things I've forgotten." Marcus places his hand on his chin and begins to go into thought.

"You know...Lady Aella has been trying to learn of the girl's past but she said she would never speak of it. I think Lady Aella may be very interested in meeting you." Marcus then gets up and adjusts his hair. "In fact, let's visit her right now. I think she's more interested in meeting 'The Blade's Shadow' rather than Talon." The memory of Riven telling me Gremora Aella was one of the heads of the Noxian Royal Guard pops in to my mind. That means I must of been killing her units for her to know my street name.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Marcus? I've killed many royal guards, and I don't think she'd be too happy to meet me." Marcus just smiles and motions for me to follow him.

"You'd be surprised." I follow Marcus out of the house and across the street to another massive house. It's nowhere near as big as the DuCouteau household, but then again, any home compared to the DuCouteaus doesn't compare in size. The only thing I notice that is different from Marcus's home is the size of the yard. Everywhere I look I see some form of training obstacles. Hitting dummies, climbing walls, a track for running, you know, stereotypical military training shit. Why would she have it in her yard though? As we get closer I begin to notice groups of men stretching their bodies out before exercise. We finally reach the front door and Marcus doesn't even bother knocking. He walks in and begins to call for Lady Aella as if he owns the place. At first it sounds as if no one's home until a swarm of footsteps from every direction begins to echo through the house. I begin to panic a little cause they do not sound friendly, Marcus on the other hand pulls out a cigarette and lights up, ignoring the sounds. As the footsteps come to a halt, I look around and find that we're surrounded by royal guards. Marcus just stands still and whispers to me to not utter a word or move. It's risky, but I don't.

"Trespassers to Master Aella's home will be arrested, and, or killed! Don't move unless we tell you otherwise!" Marcus and I don't move or say anything. A guard quickly rushes out of formation and begins to pat our pockets. He stops moving when he feels something metal on Marcus's shirt. He slides Marcus's jacket and goes as white as a ghost. "Private Fairway, what is the hold up?!" The young guard turns around, still frozen.

"T-t-t-t-t..."

"Speak, boy!"

"This is General DuCouteau!" The whole room goes silent. Every guard lays down their weapon and drops to their knees. Whispers of apologies fills the air. Marcus just laughs and continues smoking.

"It's good to know you stop any trespasser on this property. You're all dismissed!" Marcus waves his hands and every guard files back to where they came from. Only one person remains after everyone leaves. A middle aged looking woman, who stands tall and curvy with silky black hair, smiles at Marcus and I.

"When are you going to stop visiting unannounced, Marcus?" The woman laughs and begins to walk towards us. Marcus finishes his cigarette and places it in a nearby ash tray and meets her halfway. They greet each other with a handshake and a hug. The woman looks at me after her greetings. "And who might this handsome, young man be?" Marcus looks back.

"Meet my new apprentice, Talon. You probably know him already, Gremora."

"Oh? And why would I?"

"Talon is better known as 'The Blade's Shadow'." Gremora looks back at Marcus, then to me. I think she might want to kill me now. She grabs my shoulder, and to my surprise begins to laugh.

"So you're the kid making my guards have a hard time sleeping at night! That would explain the armor you have on. You're one of Marcus's elites I'm assuming?" I nod yes. "I'm impressed, Talon."

"You're not mad? I've killed many of your guards."

"I'm only mad at those failures who died." Harsh words. "I spend so much time personally training them, and they have the audacity to die without my permission! I even built all this training equipment in my own home to make sure they're the best!" This woman is...interesting.

"Talon also has some information on Riven's past. He met her while they were young years ago."

"Really? That girl doesn't talk about her past at all. I'd love to help her get over what has happened to her, so would you be so kind to fill me in on where she came from?" I look at Marcus uncomfortably. He nods and mouths 'go on', so I face Lady Aella.

"Well...don't take offense but I don't believe I have the right to tell you about Riven without her permission." Lady Aella's grip on my shoulder gets rougher, but then she relaxes. She smiles at me, then looks to Marcus.

"Quite some kid you've got on your hands now." She looks back to me. "That's a good trait to have, never releasing secrets. It'll get you far in Noxus..." The last bit sounded ominous but I push it out of my mind as Lady Aella invites us in to her living room for tea and cookies. Marcus and her begin to converse and I just sit there enjoying the snacks. Eventually we all lose track of the time. Marcus and I tell Lady Aella goodbye and that school should be out by now. She shows us the way out and as I was stepping out of the living room, I get blindsided by a sudden hug and I'm knocked to the floor. I look and find Riven grabbing onto me.

"I thought you were gone again..." Oh shit I forgot about my promise! Marcus and Lady Aella give us a cheeky smile and I try to move but Riven won't let me. Lady Aella then grabs my hand and helps me up, but Riven still won't let go of me.

"Hello Riven, I see you've met Talon already." Riven finally lets go of me and bows to Lady Aella then grabs onto me once again.

"How could I ever forget my hero." Marcus and Lady Aella look at me a little surprised. I shrug my confusion as well.

"What do you mean hero, Riven?" Marcus asks her with a curious expression. Riven grips on to my shirt and smiles. She then explains to Marcus and Lady Aella how we first met, the orphanage, the escape, and even tells them about what happened this morning with those would be rapists. Marcus pats me on the back, smiles and gives me a thumbs up while Lady Aella grabs her cheeks and blushes.

"Oh my, oh my, sounds like a wonderful love story!"

"At any point where did you get the vibe of a love story..." Lady Aella fakes a kiss. Damn, she's got me there. To be fair it was one sided, but whatever. I'll let them believe what they want to believe, so I escape Riven's grasp and say goodbye once more then leave to my own home. I'd rather have a quiet walk back but Marcus further inquires on my situation with women.

"Quite the harem you've got going on, boy!"

"Harem?" He grabs his chin and pats me on the back.

"You've got my beautiful little Cassie, and the strong, exotic Riven wrapped around your finger. Who's next, my beautiful killer, Kat?" I look at Marcus with a bored expression and shake my head.

"You're a weird man, you know that right?"

"No one makes a name for themselves by being normal." That's true...

"That reminds me...did you know Katarina has magic in her? She kind of sort of ambushed me but I felt some magic power coming off her." Marcus keeps walking and looks straight ahead.

"They get it from their mother..." Marcus says it so quietly I almost miss it. What does he mean by they? Does Cassie also have some magic? I'm curious but Marcus has a pained looked in his eyes so I decide not to press further. I finally get the quiet walk I wanted the rest of the way home.


	9. Training Day

**I apologize for the long stop. Recently, we had football tryouts at my school so I was helping out with the new kids. Once finals are over with this week, I hope to get back into my rhythm of posting once/twice a week cause I enjoy writing this story! Very relaxing after practice, and homework for myself!**

* * *

I'm exhausted. I look around me and check out all opponents around me. They're just as exhausted but they're more injured. Marcus has had me fighting my fellow elites since early this morning, and I've still remained undefeated.

"Ha-ha! Great job, Talon. How're you feeling?" Marcus...the smug bastard seems to enjoy the fact that I'm absolutely depleted of energy...he's got something planned for me.

"I'm feeling as great as a snowman in the summer..."

"Great! Cause now it's time to practice with Kat!" Son of a bitch. I'm not sure Kat will be happy at the fact that I won't be at my best. Marcus tells everyone they're excused for the day, and just as quickly as the elites showed up they left. He tells me to wait as he goes to get Kat. I sit on the floor and rest for a bit. The training room is pretty amazing, it's equipped with targets for hand to hand combat training, swordsman training, and even targets at a distance for throwing knives. After sitting in the room alone for a short time I hear a pair of footsteps heading my way, but suddenly there's silence as they get close. My reflexes kick in and I reach with my right hand backwards and grab onto an arm, so I bring it forward into a slam in front of me. I look down and find Kat laying there.

"How the hell did you know?! I made sure to not make a sound!" She jumps upward showing off some incredible core strength and flexibility.

"Would you believe me if I said it was a lucky guess?" She makes a pout face and turns her back to me. The smell of cigarette smoke lets me know Marcus is right behind me. I look at him and see him staring outside a nearby window. He then seems to remember where he is and shakes his head. Marcus looks at me and smiles.

"Well, I'm leaving Katarina in your care Talon. Train hard!" He turns around and exits the training room. I'm still exhausted from fighting all day long so I lay my head down on the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't fall asleep during practice." I look over and see Kat walking towards me. She places her boot on my chest and starts to nudge me. "If you don't get up I'll stab you." I don't feel like dealing with her so I roll over onto my stomach and place my head in my arms. A small sting in my leg gets my attention, so I look and find Kat dragging a dagger across my hamstring. She gives me a deviant smile. I sigh and get up. Not in the mood for getting stabbed.

"Well...I'm up. Now what?" I look her in the eyes and see that even she doesn't know what we're supposed to do. There's an awkward silence for some time so I lay back down on the floor. Kat then sits next to me.

"What was it like in the slums?" I look at her confused, but she just stares at her daggers.

"Imagine having to fight other people just to have some food or a place to sleep. It was like that every day."

"So...you killed people?" She puts her daggers back in their holsters but just stares at the wall across the room.

"Yes." She finally looks at me.

"What's it like...to kill someone?"

"Everyone has different opinions on that. It has no effect on me. In the slums it was either you, or them. It was a very easy choice."

"Don't you ever feel sorry for the people though?" I let out a small laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Remorse is a crutch in the fight for survival."

"So, what do you feel when you kill someone who doesn't really deserve to die?" I face Kat, and stand up.

"Most of the time I feel my blade in their necks." I begin to make a small laugh at my little joke. Kat tries to help it but she makes a small chuckle as well, but covers her mouth in an attempt to stop it.

"That wasn't funny." I mouth an okay at her lie. I then begin to think about the slums. Surprisingly, I feel a little homesick. I miss killing those who deserve it, and those who pick fights with me. It was a lot of fun. I then get an idea for some training.

"Our conversation has put me in the mood for a fight. I'd like to head back to my old home for a bit and see what kind of trouble finds me."

"Wait...you mean going back to the slums for today? How do you know for sure any trouble will find you?" I make my way to the door and smile to myself.

"Have some faith in my bad luck."

"How do you know we're even allowed to leave?"

"You're in my care during training apparently. Enough talk, let's grab a carriage and leave." Kat finally complies. She finds a servant along the way who knows how to drive, but as to not rouse suspicion we tell him to drop us off with in the market area for some shopping. Once there I lead Kat to the rooftops and show her the way to my old home. She starts to look disgusted as we get closer to the slums. "What's the matter with you? You look as if you're going to vomit?"

"It...it really stinks!" I make a small smile.

"Then we're real close. I didn't even notice the smell." Sure enough the sight of garbage and homeless people infesting the area lets us know we've made it. I lead Kat down the maze of the alleyways I used to travel and search for access to the rooftops. Once above Kat stops me and questions me.

"What in God's name are we doing in this dump part of Noxus?"

"Your words hurt me." I say it in a sarcastic tone and take a big sniff of the shitty air. "Smells like home!" Kat rolls her eyes. "Just kidding. There is sure to be some deserving people you can test your skills on in these parts." She raises an eye as she seems to become intrigued.

"So we're going to run around like some sort of cliché vigilantes?"

"Well if you want to be a dork about it...yes."

"Interesting...and how do you plan on finding people?" I open my mouth to answer but no words come out. I stop and think for a bit. "Well?"

"We'll burn that bridge once we cross it. For now let's just wander around, you know...instigate a fight if a we have to." And with that I begin my sprint over the rooftops. I've never learned the directions through the slums, I've always just sort of used my gut to tell me where to go. Kat's irritation was very evident as I was just heading in random directions looking for trouble. She yells for me to stop for a moment.

"Listen, I know you want to be some psycho killer, but we've been running around for twenty minutes and I'm getting irritated of all this pointless running." I think for a moment. For some reason it seems odd that there was absolutely no crime going on that I could find. I wonder if maybe it's because I haven't been around lately? Nah, people were doing things long before I became the Blade's Shadow. I let out a sigh, and jump down into a nearby alleyway, followed by Kat, and wander onto the sidewalk. I instantly notice something off. The street is dead silent. I slide a dagger I've been keeping in my shoe and conceal it in my sleeve. I tell Kat to keep her guard up since something is going on. She's confused but does so anyways. Slowly, we begin to walk down the sidewalk, only hearing our steps. It's only 7:30 p.m., there should still be activity going on. Tiny footsteps cause me to go in full alert, but I notice it's just a rat coming out of a nearby shop. On closer inspection of the rat I notice it's covered in blood. I look at the shop where it came from and find the windows completely busted down. I head over slowly and lean around the corner. I hear a faint whimper and notice a pool of blood coming out from a door in the back of the building.

"Kat, stand watch and I'll take a look ahead." Silently she nods and we both move inside. She keeps a look out behind my back while I focus on the door. I attempt to open but it's locked, so I grab a small utility knife from my pocket and put it in the keyhole. I wiggle it left, right, up, and down while simultaneously turning the door knob. The old, familiar feeling of a successful lock-pick hits me again and gives me a small adrenaline rush to push the door open, but it doesn't prepare Kat or myself. Instantly, I step into a large pool of blood and hear Kat let out a loud gag. I see three people nailed to the wall. A man, woman, and a small girl. The man and woman are obviously dead, having been sliced down from the sternum to the abdomen. All internal organs have been stripped from the inside of their body, so they're left to dangle on the wall. The girl is alive but has no chance for survival. Multiple stab wounds riddle her body. She looks up at Kat and I.

"I...I w-want my momma and poppa..." She begins to let out the most faint whimper, and then silence. I look at Kat who is just staring at the girl's body. No fear, no sadness, no anger. Her expression is just...blank.

"Come to admire my work, yes?" Kat and I turn around and notice a anorexic, yet tall man in the darkness of the store. He steps closer into the faint candle light. The man is bald, pale skin, and his face is covered in scars in the shape of tally marks. He reaches behind him in his waist line, and pulls out a jagged dagger covered in blood, fresh and dried. "Three more to the count..." He takes the dagger and drags it across his cheek to add three more tally marks, making it eight in total. Kat and I are silent but I grab my dagger and hide it behind my back. I open my mouth to speak, but Kat surprises me and speaks up first.

"This was you?" The man smiles.

"Of course, my dear. Are you a fan of my art?" I wait for Kat to make her move before I do, and she seems to know that she'll be calling the shots on this one.

"Who are you?"

"Who am I?" He starts to chuckle lightly. "I could tell you...", he looks at Kat, and his smile transforms into an alarmingly sinister stare, "but I'd have to kill you..." Without warning he lunges for Kat but she quickly evades and tosses multiple daggers with lightning speed. Two connect, one in each leg. The man cries out in pain but then begins to laugh maniacally, and yanks the daggers out of his leg. "Yes...the blood! THE BEAUTIFUL BLOOD!" For some reason he seems to be growing bigger, but I pass it off as my imagination as I take my turn at fighting this freak. I grab my dagger and begin to go into close combat with him. He pulls out another jagged dagger and shockingly is able to parry my attacks. He's actually skilled but unfortunately for him, I'm better. I sweep at his legs, causing him to fall to the floor. I take my chance and send my dagger into his heart. At first there is silence, and Kat walks over to me, but to our utter shock, he begins to laugh. He grabs my wrist and slowly lifts it up, pulling the dagger out of his chest. I then realize it was not my imagination. He really IS growing bigger. The anorexic man we first saw is now slowly forming into a mass of muscle. Kat and I begin to back up, and out into the streets. We hear large footsteps and suddenly that thing bursts through the shop wall completely. He now easily towers over us and is swollen with muscle. He takes a good look at us and jumps upwards bringing his fists into a ball. Kat and I each evade into opposite directions as we feel the slam of his fists. It leaves a small crater in the street. He turns his focus to me as he begins to swing his fists wildly. It takes most of my energy just to evade a single punch, so I feel as if I might get hit if this goes on any further. Luckily for me, Kat begins to take pressure off of me as she tosses dagger after dagger into this thing's back. He turns to face Kat and gives me an opening. I jump onto his back and begin to climb for his neck. I grab my dagger and stick it right in his meaty neck but it seemingly doesn't affect him as he grabs me and tosses me like I was nothing. I shift my body, and roll into a crouch to catch my breath. I notice Kat is beginning to get tired as well. "Yes, yes, yes...you two shall have a special place for my count..." He then points to his heart and mimics a slicing motion. "You're both next, yes..." Kat ignores his comments and begins to continue tossing daggers and keeping her distance from him. I hear a small clinging sound coming from a nearby alleyway, so I look over. Suddenly, an arm blade comes sliding out from the darkness of the alleyway. I don't even think about it and immediately strap it in. I run to Kat's assistance but this thing pays no attention to me. I then come up with a stupid plan. I jump forward, up to this thing's height and yell out to him.

"YOUR ART SUCKS!" Surprisingly he faces me, giving me the opening I wanted. I send my arm blade into a slice across the thing's neck. A perfect decapitation. Instantly the thing stops moving and drops dead. A small earthquake happens as he hits the floor. I then fall to the floor and sit down to catch a breather. Kat circles the thing, examining it, and then sits next to me. The sound of footsteps has Kat and I up on our feet again. We look at the darkness of the alleyway, and out steps Marcus.

"Father!" "Marcus?"

"Quite the opponent you two had there." He walks over to the body and begins to check it up and down. "I think I know someone who would be interested in this corpse..."

"How did you find us, father?" Marcus just laughs.

"You really think the servants would let you go somewhere without informing me?" Kat goes a little red. His tone slowly gets more serious. "How are you feeling, Kat?"

"Father?" I then remember at the same time...this was the first time Kat has ever killed someone...in fact, it's the first time she's ever seen a corpse, let alone a triple homicide. The scene was pretty horrific, too, so I'm not sure if she's alright.

"Well, this was your first actual fight...are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes, I think I understand what Talon means now...better him than me." She makes a small smirk, but loses it as she turns her head to the store. "As for them...I'm not sure how I feel..." Marcus looks a little confused, so I show him what she means. He just stares at these unlucky folk. Suddenly he begins to search the room. He then flips a nearby desk over to reveal a rose painted into the floor in blood.

"I think that's the art that psycho was talking about. That guy was really fucked up-"

"No." Marcus says it sternly and I immediately stop speaking. "Black Rose."

"What?" Marcus looks visibly shaken. The thought of something scaring Marcus disturbs me.

"We need to leave. Now."

"What about the bodies?"

"Forget them. We need to leave, NOW." I say no more, grab Kat, and guide us back to the rooftops. Marcus is silent for most the time while we head back. It's very unsettling to both Kat, and myself.

"Father? Are you alright?" Marcus stops, so we do the same.

"Of all the people you two had to find...it had to be a member of the Black Rose..." He then sighs. "The last person I want to meet up with is her." Her?

"What are you talking about, Marcus?" He seems to be contemplating something before he speaks.

"The Black Rose is one of the few mage guilds that were around before Noxus was ruled by a government. Of all of them, the Black Rose is the last one standing, and has held the most power in the old times. Now, they have no political power so they have been trying for years to bring down the government to bring the power back to themselves." Marcus then gives Kat and I a very saddening stare. "Since you two have fought and defeated a member, no doubt the Deceiver will come and see if you two are Black Rose compatible..." He then looks a little upset. "If the Deceiver deems you unworthy, you die. If she does deem you worthy...then...well...it'll be as if you died since all members will be taken to the Black Rose headquarters. No one knows where it's at." Marcus then walks over to Kat and they both begin to tear up as they embrace each other for what might be their final moments together. It won't matter if I die or disappear. But Kat...I can't let her go. She has a family who cares for her, and a very promising future. As for myself, I'm just some dog indebted to Marcus DuCouteau.

"Marcus." He faces me but still holds onto Kat. "I might die or disappear, but I will make sure that Kat stays. That's a promise I'll take with myself until the day I'm no longer breathing. In fact, I'll say the same about Cassie. Your family will be kept together even if it kills me to do so." Marcus wipes the tears off his face and smiles, he then takes one hand and pulls me into a hug as well with Kat. I feel extremely awkward, but I don't say anything since Marcus and Kat are both quiet. We stay there on the rooftops for a little while, sharing silence before we head back home.

**Elsewhere in Noxus...**

A seemingly young woman sitting in a chair is relaxing when suddenly she opens her eyes and smiles. She reaches into the darkness and pulls out an elegant, black and gold staff. The staff is very peculiar as it is encrusted with gems orbiting around the tip. A blue orb shoots out of the staff and reveals a very interesting scene. She witnesses a young man decapitate the hulking form of another man.

"Alexander...when will you learn that murder is not art..." The woman laughs. "Now...who are you, boy? To end his life in a single swing?" The woman gets up and begins to head towards the door, exiting the room.


	10. Indoctrination

The night time routine of the DuCouteau household went by as usual. The only thing being different was the atmosphere. Dinner went by in silence, Marcus's normal smoke break was significantly shorter to have more time to sit with his daughters in the living room, and all the servants seemed to lower their heads in sorrow and respect as Katarina walked past them. As for myself, I kept my guard on full alert. My arm blade has not left my side since I've strapped it in. I'm not sure what the Deceiver looks like, so I need to be ready for attacks at any moment. I refuse to let Katarina be taken by whoever this terrorist is, and I'd gladly die just to keep this family together. I brought her into this mess, so I will get her out. Yeah...that's why I'm doing this...cause I feel obligated to do so. Let's go with that. While Marcus and the girls sit in the living room, I just stay up on the second floor balcony, keeping an eye out on them. Specifically Kat. Cassie seems to be her normal, cheery self, so I go with the assumption that no one has informed her of what might happen. Unless she's just hiding her true feelings. Cassie then looks directly at me, and blows me a kiss. Never mind, she has no idea. I personally believe someone should tell her, it would absolutely devastate her if she found out one morning that Kat was gone...or dead, but if Marcus thinks not telling her is the best way to go, then so be it. As the clock strikes 9:00 pm, everyone begins to get ready for bed, but I still stay on guard and make the rounds around the hallway where Kat's room connects to Cassie's and mine. I just stand by the outside of Kat's door and keep my back leaning on the wall. I hear a door open from down the hall and see Kat step out of the bathroom in her sleeping attire, a sports bra and sweatpants. She spots me by her door and begins to walk up to me.

"You don't have to, Talon. You should get some rest."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just relaxing." Kat goes a little red.

"Well...thanks." She brushes past me and into her room. The small contact from her makes my heart jump for some reason. I grab onto my chest to make sure I'm not having a heart attack or something. What a weird feeling... I then hear rampant footsteps quickly heading towards me and I go into full alert when I spot Cassie, and she does not look happy. She walks right up to me and looks me in the eye. Again for some reason I feel as if I can't move or speak.

"I saw that, Talon. Don't you think I'm going to lose to my sister or that neighbor girl...got that?"

"What are you talking-" Cassie places a finger on my lips.

"Hush...you will realize who is best for you one day." She then moves her hand from my lips to feel my cheek, then walks off into her room. Such a weird girl. Thank goodness it seems like she's the only one like that. I nod off my thoughts and go back to hanging around Kat's room, keeping watch. I close my eyes for a bit and just stand there, every now and then peeking into Kat's room. The first hour goes by uneventful, so I slide my back down the wall to sit on the floor. The second hour I begin to clean my blade with just my breath and my sleeve. The third hour, I'm going in and out of consciousness. A nearby grandfather clock's bells begin to toll as the hands strike midnight, snapping me out of my haze. I stand up and stretch my body out until I feel a satisfying crack in my back. I lean into Kat's room once more to check on her and see that she's still sound asleep. Seeing her asleep makes me feel exhausted, but I feel as though I should keep standing watch. I yawn and cave in to my exhaustion. I step out into the hall and begin to remove my arm blade and actually inspect it close up for the first time. It's a very sleek chrome and very lightweight. Imprinted at the bottom of the blade is a faint T. For some reason my body goes into alert as I stand by my bedroom door. I strap my arm blade back in and grab onto the doorknob. I place my ear to the door and listen for any noise...silence. I prepare myself to head inside, and when I feel ready I push inside and find...nothing. I look under the bed, nothing. The wardrobe, nothing. I open my window and look around outside...nothing. Maybe my exhaustion has my mind playing tricks on me? I remove my arm blade and place it under my pillow to grab it if I ever suddenly get awoken. I then walk to my door to close it. Once it's closed I turn my back to just plop into bed and fall asleep but my body feels suddenly constricted. I look and see that wrapped around me is a chain of solid gold, and a chain of solid...purple? I then hear the sound of high heeled shoes coming from the darkness in the corner of my room.

"I'm impressed you were able to sense my presence...unfortunately you just had to lower your guard." A woman steps out in a very revealing, yet elegant dress. The woman looks very young, and beautiful. In her hand she holds a long black and gold staff, with purple gems orbiting around the tip. I say nothing as I feel a very strong magic power emanating off of her. The woman comes close to me and begins to brush her hand across my chest, my shoulders, and then my face. "So young...so delicious." She removes her hand from my body and licks her fingers. "Tell me boy, what's your name?"

"First, tell me who you are." She smiles and puts her hand back onto my chest.

"So commanding, I love it! My name is Emilia LeBlanc...you probably know me as the Deceiver." My eyes rise in surprise. Then slump back down into an angry look.

"Talon. What business do you have here?"

"I'm here for you...it was rather impressive seeing you kill one of my strongest members. And I need someone to fulfill that role-"

"I refuse." The chains around my body begin to squeeze harder, but then relax. I can see the frustration in her eyes, but she still is able to keep her composure. The Deceiver brushes the little bit of hair that fell onto her face off to the side.

"Everyone has desires, Talon. With the Black Rose you can do whatever you've dreamed of...all that we ask for in return is your loyalty." I begin to laugh in the Deceiver's face. She scowls. "What's so funny, boy?" The chains begin to squeeze me.

"Your offer sounds like my current situation." I begin to laugh even harder. The Deceiver doesn't seem to find me as amusing. The chains around my body begin to practically strangle me, leaving me fighting for air.

"I've seen what you will become. I refuse to let you decline my offer. All will kneel...you will soon understand..." The chains become too much to handle, and I keep a smile on my face as I fall unconscious.

**The Following Morning, DuCouteau Household**

Like clockwork for the weekend, Katarina wakes up around 9:00 am as the sun begins to beam in her eyes on this beautiful Saturday morning. Stretching her body out as she rises, her eyes open in sudden happiness as she bolts out the door. She runs right past Cassie, past all the servants offering her clean clothes for the day and directly to her father's study. As she bolts inside, Marcus suddenly looks up from his sad stance and up into an energetic, cheery mood. They meet each other halfway and embrace one another as if they haven't seen each other in years.

"Thank goodness I was wrong this time around." Marcus says it as he keeps his head in Kat's blood red hair. They're broken up when Cassie comes walking into the study as well.

"Daddy, where's Talon?" As quickly as the mood was raised, it was immensely lowered. Marcus and Kat let go of each other and quickly run off. Kat runs across the mansion asking every servant if they've seen him. Marcus runs across the street to Lady Aella's home and frantically knocks on the door. He brushes past the guards and into the living room, asking both Riven and Lady Aella if they've seen Talon. At hearing of Talon's MIA status, Riven chooses to help Marcus in searching for him. In a desperate attempt to find him, Marcus even resorts to sending his elite out in search of him. Many hours go by and there is still no sign of Talon. Kat and Marcus go into Talon's room to try and understand what might have happened. He walks over to the bed and notices a shimmer of reflected sunlight from under Talon's pillow. Lifting it up reveals Talon's arm blade...and a black rose. Marcus is silent.

"Father...I left him alone. He stood outside my door all night watching me...it's my fault..." Kat begins to choke up but chooses not to cry...she wouldn't cry over some street rat. Marcus chokes up as well but smiles.

"I thought you promised, boy..." Marcus lets a single tear shed. "You said you would keep our family together..." He lets some more tears fall. "Didn't you know you are a part of this family?" Kat can no longer hold back, as she begins to cry as well.

**Elsewhere in Noxus...**

Oh fuck...my head is killing me. I open my eyes and notice that I'm upside down. It's hard to think with all this blood rushing to my head. I begin to wiggle around but to no avail. I only do good at slightly swinging myself. I look at what binds me and find the solid gold and purple chains still tightly coiling around my body, and also a rope that's connected to a ceiling I cannot see, wrapped around my ankles, keeping me suspended from the floor. I give up to conserve energy and begin to assess my surroundings. All I'm able to see is a wooden door, the cobblestone floor, and a nearby desk and chair. Everything else is too dark for me to get a good look at. Suddenly the rope gets cut and I fall to the floor. Seemingly out of thin air I hear a voice that could be directly out of a horror story.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh. Another puppet? How fun!" In a puff of smoke, a startling figure appears before me. A jester...but not just any jester. I've only heard of him in urban legends, but he looks very real as he stands in front of me. "You flatter me, eyeing me so hard! Ha-ha!" Shaco...the Demon Jester. A pure evil entity of killing intent, Shaco roams the streets looking for those unlucky enough to cross his path. Or that's how I heard the legend goes. And of course here I am, right on a silver platter, tied up and ready to die. He pulls two jagged daggers out of his belt line and begins to juggle them. "Where to cut...where to cut...right here?" He places a dagger on my throat. "Or maybe here?" He then moves it to my sternum. "Or maybe-"

"That's enough, Shaco." The jester turns around. For once I'm thankful to see the Deceiver, but it's short lived. "This is your new student, Talon. Can't have him dead if you wish to utilize him as a weapon." Shaco looks at me and smiles from ear to ear.

"My very own student!" Shaco touches the chains and it releases me. My body begins to ache all over as it readjusts to being able to breathe normally. "Oh, just think of all the fun we'll have fun! First we'll need textbooks, and notebooks, and reading books, and... Oh, who am I kidding?" He reaches into the darkness and tosses me a sword. I let it fall to the floor in front of me as I reluctantly grab it. His voice is suddenly lower with a demonic hint to it. "The only thing we'll need are victims... Stand up, student." I stay sitting. "I said...", he kicks me in the face and it knocks me backwards, "STAND UP! Those who are disobedient will be swiftly punished." I go to my knees and wipe the blood coming out of my mouth off. "You should also be thinking about those girls in your home...would be terrible if anything happened to them." My heart stops for a second. I'd rather not have anything happen to Katarina, or Cassie, so I decide I will listen to this demon for the time being. "Good boy." He begins to laugh again. "You need anything else, LeBlanc?" The Deceiver nods her no and exits. "So...the Deceiver has deemed you worthy of being taught the ways of the assassin under my guidance? So very interesting..." Shaco snaps his fingers to light up a section of the room that was previously hidden by the darkness. I look and see people chained to the walls. Something is off with these people as they're all yanking and tugging like wild animals against the chains. Shaco begins to walk over to them and tells me to follow. "These are the others who Ms. LeBlanc said were worthy..." His grin never seems to falter as he speaks. "Surprise me, boy. Let's see how nice you play..." Shaco then disappears and the bindings on these people are removed. That's when I see it...they've all gone completely mad. Like a pack of wild dogs they charge at me, leaving me no other choice but to use deadly force. The first man runs right into my sword, laughter that I cannot see the source of begins to fill the room. I then begin to skillfully swing my sword around, slicing everyone who comes near me. This was no challenge. I lower my sword once I see no more movement. Maniacal laughter replaces the silence, and with another puff of smoke, Shaco appears before me once again. "Wonderful! You didn't even hesitate to kill them! Absolutely wonderful!"

"Let's strike a deal, clown. I'll listen to your orders for now, in exchange for my release." Shaco grins.

"I don't think you understand how it works here, boy..." His voice drops back to its normal demonic tone. "You see, all that enter these chambers either die, or succumb to the darkness..." A second identical voice to that of Shaco's whispers in my ear, startling me. "The darkness being his will..." My body suddenly begins to feel heavy, and no matter how hard I fight it, I once again begin to lose my grip on consciousness.

**1 Week Later, House of DuCouteau**

"I can't believe Talon would just up and leave out of our lives like that." Cassie makes a pout face and crosses her arms. "And to think I would of let him do all those things to me..."

"Cassie, please stop talking about Talon." Kat tries to hide her face full of pain but fails to do so. Just being reminded of Talon having had ever existed is enough to hurt her. Marcus is the same way, still refusing to lose him. He sends his elites out every night to search all over Noxus but with no luck. Morale for the elites has taken a major hit, since a seemingly easy search has turned out to be impossible. It's as if Talon has completely vanished off the face of the planet. Riven has once again resumed back to her introverted ways, only speaking to Lady Aella, as if her open side disappeared along with Talon. Only until he was gone did everyone notice how much of a difference he made in their lives. The sound of quick footsteps echo through the halls of the DuCouteau house, as Marcus makes his way out the door and to a carriage. He takes the carriage to the Noxian High Command and ignores everyone who greets him. He heads straight for the door of the office of Jericho Swain. Knowing he doesn't need to knock, he immediately steps right in and interrupts the older man feeding his massive, alien-like bird. The man whispers something to the bird, causing it to flap it's enormous wings and settle on a nearby roost.

"Something on your mind, Marcus?" The man adjusts his chair accordingly, and faces Marcus.

"I need all the information on the Black Rose that we have. It may seem sudden Jericho, but I need it for my own reasons." Jericho is a little taken back by the urgency in Marcus's voice.

"You and I both know it's best not to delve too deep in those old factions. You never know when myth is reality."

"I understand, but please, as a friend Jericho, I need any information we may have." Jericho leans his head back and sighs. He grabs his cane and lifts himself up. Slowly but surely he heads over to a small bookshelf located in the back corner of the room. Reaching into the bookshelf he pulls out a dusty book with a thin file full of photos and documents wedged inside. He hands it over to Marcus, and with no words, Marcus takes it and bows to Jericho. Just as sudden as Marcus was in, he was out. Jericho begins to nod his head in disappointment after Marcus left the room.

"I'm not sure why you wish to research the Order so suddenly, Marcus...but it would be a damn shame for you to be an enemy of the new and improved Black Rose..."


	11. The Black Rose

One month has gone by, and Talon's whereabouts still remain a mystery to the DuCouteaus. They've only known the boy for a short amount of time, but he has somehow managed to leave a permanent mark on everyone. Every day since his disappearance has had the same gloomy atmosphere. Marcus every now and then sends his elites out in a hopeless search, Katarina blames herself for leaving him alone, and Cassie still doesn't know what happened. The only change is in Riven. She has gone back to her secluded, shy self, but always makes sure to take time out of her day to walk over to the DuCouteau house to check if there are any updates on Talon's whereabouts. Even though the answer for a whole month has been the same exact no, without skipping a beat, every night she heads over, confident and hoping for new information. It pains Marcus to have to tell her everyday that there is nothing new. He understands why she would care so much for him. Talon is her knight in shining armor. When she was at her lowest, ready to give up on life, Talon gave her a new path to follow. That path has led her to the top of the Noxian society. And now, a stormy night with Talon still missing without a trace, Riven comes knocking on the door. Marcus answers, heartbroken to have to tell her no. He opens it and sees a very drenched Riven.

"Riven? Gremora let you walk out in this storm?"

"She's on a business trip. Won't be back till tomorrow night. Is...Talon back yet?" Marcus slowly nods a no. Riven turns to leave, but Marcus stops her.

"Please, come inside. We're serving tea and biscuits. You'll also catch a cold if you continue walking out there."

"I'd be just a bother..."

"I insist, Riven. It would hurt my pride if I left a woman out in the rain." Riven looks as if she'd rather be alone, but since it's Marcus DuCouteau, she reluctantly agrees.

"Thank you, General-"

"Call me Marcus." Riven looks up at him. He just smiles.

"Thank you for having me...Marcus." Marcus leads Riven to the living room where Kat and Cassie are snacking and discussing random topics.

"Hello girls, I'm sure you both know Riven." Riven nods them a silent hello, and puts her head down. "Katarina, could you do me a favor and see if you have any clothes to spare for Riven here? She's completely soaked and I'd rather her not get sick." Riven looks up a little flustered.

"Oh, you don't have to do all that for me. I won't sit on the furniture or-" Kat interrupts.

"It's alright, Riven. Just follow me." Riven goes a little red from embarrassment, but follows. The two girls walk side by side in silence, until they reach Kat's room. Kat opens the door and invites Riven inside, then heads to her dresser and pulls out two pairs of sports bras and sweatpants. "Since I'm here I might as well change into something more relaxing as well." Kat tosses her a pair of clothes. The girls look away from each other and begin to change. Kat begins to wonder why Riven is so concerned over Talon. She looks back and notices how smooth her exotic tanned skin is. Riven looks back as well and they lock eyes for a second. They turn away from each other in embarrassment, but it gets Kat thinking. How did Talon get two beautiful girls wrapped around his finger? Not that she cares or anything...she's only curious how a street rat has managed to do that. As they finish changing, Kat leads Riven back to the living room where they see Cassie alone. "Where did father go, Cassie?"

"One of the elites said he saw something of urgent importance while on patrol, so father's in his study with him." Cassie sips her tea. "Riven." Cassie calling her name startles her.

"Yes?" Cassie smiles and places her cup of tea down.

"No need to be such a stranger. Please, sit. Have some tea as well." Riven complies and sits on a chair across from Cassie. Servants seemingly come out of nowhere with two cups of tea, and another plate of biscuits. Riven takes a cup and bows her head to thank the servant. As she's about sip, Cassie begins to chuckle. Kat is confused as well.

"What's so funny, Cassie?" Kat thinks that her sister is insulting Riven in some way, but in fact she's not.

"Nothing, nothing." She turns to Riven. "I was curious as to how you met Talon." Kat nearly chokes on her tea, and Riven blushes.

"Are you really interested? Because...I love telling this story." Cassie's eye twitches a little bit but she keeps up her interest and fake smile.

"Yes I am! I love a good story!" Kat wants to say something to Cassie, but secretly, she's also interested.

"Well...I met Talon when we were in an orphanage together. So, I guess you could say we're childhood friends." Riven chuckles lightly which Kat finds to be off character for her. Cassie on the other hand seems to be fuming on the inside, but calm and collected on the outside. "He's saved me countless times in fights that would break out at the orphanage. He even helped me break out of that horrible place..." Riven blushes and smiles. "I also stole a kiss before I ran off from the orphanage." Kat once again chokes on her tea, Cassie's fake smile falters but she just laughs it off.

"And so that's it? Just some childhood memories." Cassie seems to be in denial.

"Well more recently, the first time I've seen Talon in over five years was at school. Some thugs were trying to...hurt me. He came by and absolutely destroyed them without even using his hands. I was so happy that he came back to save me again, so I just couldn't stop myself and stole another kiss from him." Cassie places her cup down. She is now visibly angry.

"That son of a bitch...that was the day I brought him to school with ME!"

"Cassie..." Kat places her cup down as well and looks her sister in the eye. "Relax."

"I'm sorry...did I say something I shouldn't have?" Riven apologizes, and Cassie calms down and goes back to her fake smiling.

"Oh no..." Cassie relaxes and seems to go into thought. Her face slowly goes a light red. "I have another question, Riven..."

"Hmm?" Kat listens carefully to make sure Cassie doesn't snap again.

"Is Talon a good kisser?" Riven's face goes completely red. Kat tries to say something to Cassie, but only comes out with stuttered nonsense. Deep down inside...she also wants to hear the answer.

"Well..." Riven brushes her bangs off to the side. "His lips are surprisingly soft...and his scent...that solid gaze in his eyes..." She smiles and wraps her arms around her body and giggles to herself. "If only he kissed me back..." Cassie perks up at hearing this.

"Excuse me?" Cassie's mood seemed to get better.

"Well, he just sort of accepted my kiss and didn't do anything back." Cassie stands up quickly with a wide smile on her face.

"He's inexperienced! I will teach him! Yes...yes...YES!" She begins to laugh wildly, so Kat has to calm her down. The girls go silent when they hear footsteps from the second floor. Four elites rush down the stairs and out the door. Slowly Marcus comes out from the hall and into the living room. He then takes a seat in his chair and lights up a cigarette.

"There's a possibility we may have found Talon." All three girls are stunned. They all try to say something at the same time but can't. Marcus takes a puff of his cigarette and continues to speak. "He may be working for someone else though..." The girls then go silent. "My elites have been finding more and more Black Rose related murders with Talon's signature cut. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with him, but we're hopefully going to find out."

**Earlier, Marcus's Study**

"Alright, Ghost. What did you find?" Marcus sits behind his desk and motions for Ghost to close the door.

"Well, sir, it's not just what I found, it's what we've all found." Ghost pulls out a handful of photos showing something that catches Marcus's attention. They're all murders...no...assassinations by a blade. "We've been investigating it for a while now to make sure it's not a fluke." Ghost then points to the photos. "They all have the same cut across the neck-"

"Just like the Blade's Shadow..." Ghost nods.

"We believe it to be Talon, but...", Ghost sorts through the photos and shows Marcus black roses around the bodies, "he seems to have gotten involved with the Black Rose." Marcus puts the photos down and wipes his face. He leans back into his chair and sighs. "These all happened this month. We have reason to believe the Black Rose is planning something, but we're not sure. All of those who were assassinated in the photos are guards for the Noxian High Command, so it may be linked to an attack on High Command's headquarters." Marcus places his fists under his chin to hold himself up. He seems to be in thought. "This is all speculation though, sir. We're not sure what they're planning...or if they even are planning anything."

"I believe it's safe to say they're up to something. They don't become active like this very often..." Marcus rubs his chin, then gets up. "Ghost, I want you to assemble a small team, and go out and patrol the High Command's headquarters. Report any suspicious activity, and be on high alert. Tomorrow there will be a meeting about finances in Noxus." Ghost looks at Marcus somewhat confused. "Boram Darkwill will be in attendance. If the Black Rose are planning something, tomorrow would be the perfect time." Once Marcus finishes speaking he dismisses the elite. Ghost salutes Marcus and rushes out of the room.

**Noxian High Command, Two Hours Later**

The elites have set up a small camp outside of the High Command headquarters after patrolling the place countless times. Nothing seems to be happening as of now besides the heavy rainfall, so they sit around enjoying each other's company under the shelter of the buildings front entrance.

"Just a thought, mates, why'dya think we've to be lookin' for this boy, eh?"

"Marcus has seemed to taken a liking to him, and that kid has the skills to back it up, too." The elite nicknamed Accent, due to his heavy rural Noxian accent, smiles at Ghost.

"Oi, that's true, eh. He went off and done in Bishop with justa pocket knife." The elite known as Scarlet, due to her dark red hair, interrupts Accent.

"Marcus seems to not like him as a weapon, but more like a son it seems." Ghost and Accent nod in agreement. The final elite in their little group known as Heart, due to his caring nature, pipes up.

"To be fair, the man lost his wife and only has his daughters. I think he was so happy to find a boy who was like him." He closes his eyes and crosses his arms across his chest. "Which is why I feel sorry since the kid just disappeared out of thin air."

"His gal, Katarina, is more of a lad than lady don'tcha think? Ach!" Scarlet elbows Accent in his ribs.

"It's not polite to talk ill about a girl's personality."

"Well ya don't have to go and hit me..." The other elites laugh at Accent's pain. "Besides, ya know it be true-Ach!" Scarlet elbows him again. They begin to laugh once more but immediately go silent. They all look at each other and are up on their feet. They are all absolutely sure they heard footsteps in front of them but they see nothing save the falling rain.

"I think we're all in agreement we heard something." The elites nod to each other, so Ghost yells out into the rain. "If there's anyone out there, come out now! You've lost the element of surprise!" At the bottom of the steps a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes seems to appear out of the darkness. He wields a sword in each hand and begins to slowly ascend the stairs. "Stop right where you are or we will use force!" The shadow keeps walking but then vanishes. The elite are all confused until they hear a moist crunch and see that the shadow is right behind Ghost with a sword pierced through him. The shadow removes his sword from Ghost and lets him fall like a ragdoll down the stairs. Without hesitating the elites go on the offensive with their arm blades swinging skillfully and quickly. The shadow easily parries them and manages to knock them back. It then removes its cloak revealing a string on its waist. The shadow pulls it and disappears followed by an explosion of daggers. Scarlet and Heart deflect most of the daggers but Accent can't react in time. His body is riddled with small knives landing him on the ground, bleeding to death. Scarlet and Heart look all around them but just can't seem to find the shadow. Suddenly, the daggers that exploded outwards then contract to a position behind them. Heart is once again able to block this, but Scarlet is cut across the neck by a returning knife, killing her instantly. The shadow stands still and locks eyes with Heart. They both circle around waiting for one another to make a move. The shadow then reveals another string attached to its wrist, which sent a wave of daggers flying out towards Heart and then back to it within a split second. Heart was able to deflect most except for one which slashed him pretty good in the thigh knocking him down. The shadow wastes no time and charges forward piercing Heart right through the sternum. Heart looks the shadow in the eye and mutters something incoherent, but he dies before he could finish the sentence. The shadow places the swords back in their holsters when maniacal laughter snaps it into attention. In a puff of smoke, Shaco, and the Deceiver appear before the shadow.

"Well done, Talon." Shaco begins to laugh again. "That was DuCouteau's elite, apparently. How pitiful..."

"I used to be a member." Shaco grins.

"Well aren't you glad you're not one anymore. As I've said, the darkness grants much more power than any mortal can teach you..."

"You were right, Master Shaco."

"Enough chit-chat, boys. Get rid of these bodies and meet me inside. We've got a busy day for us tomorrow. Even if it kills us, I want Grand General Darkwill dead. Do you understand me?" Shaco and Talon nod and begin to move the bodies. The Deceiver watches as Shaco and Talon clean up and she thinks to herself. "Even if we don't complete our goal tomorrow, at least having Boram dead will be a great ignition to throwing Noxus into turmoil..."


	12. The First Step

Marcus is pacing back and forth angrily in his study. He stayed up all night waiting for his elites to return, but even at 7:30 am, no word has come from them. No updates, no heads up about staying out longer than expected, just nothing. At 8:00 am, he gives in to frustration and pulls out a magic communication device. The device has two parts, one he places in his ear to receive, and one to hold in his hand to speak. He tells the device to call 'Juggernaut', and it immediately begins to ring. A deep, and burly hello lets Marcus know the call went through.

"Juggernaut, I need to speak with you immediately. So, please head over to my office ASAP." A grunt for yes is all Marcus gets before he hangs up. He then returns to pacing angrily, waiting for Juggernaut to meet him in his office. Soon after the call was made, large footsteps cause Marcus to stop in his tracks and stare at the door. A large, bear of man steps inside the study. Tattooed across this man's right bicep is the word 'Juggernaut', on the left is the phrase 'Lord have mercy on my enemies, for I shall not.' Strapped to his back is a giant, solid iron war hammer. It doesn't even seem to hinder his movements, nor does the scar across his face seem to bother him in the slightest. Even though his face is mostly beard, the scar is so large it's visible even from a distance. "Juggernaut, I'm going to need you to come with me to the Noxian High Command. Last night, Ghost, Scarlet, Heart, and Accent, were sent on a patrol mission but have yet to return. I have not received any word from them as well, so we're going to have to take matters into our own hands. Do you accept?"

Juggernaut bows his head in respect to Marcus. "Juggernaut will do what General DuCouteau wishes." Marcus says nothing and begins to walk out, he is followed by Juggernaut. Kat in her room hears the urgency in their steps and steps out into the hall.

"Father? Where are you going in such a rush?" Marcus doesn't stop.

"Noxian High Command. Stay here."

"Does it have anything to do with Talon?" Marcus stutters a little but replies.

"Not sure, just stay here and I'll tell you all about it when I return." Kat catches onto the uncertainty in her father's voice. The possibility of this situation involving Talon gives her the crazy idea to disobey her father's orders and tail him to Noxian High Command. The journey will be long and tiring by foot, but the guilt in her conscious is forcing her to do so.

**Noxian High Command, 10 minutes earlier**

Shaco, LeBlanc, and Talon sit in invisible darkness within the building's main lobby. To the untrained eye, the darkness they sit in is not there, but to a mage of great power... Such is the case of Jericho Swain that has Talon feeling very uneasy.

"Deceiver...I believe that man is looking directly at us." The Deceiver looks at Jericho and waves. To Talon's surprise he does a small nod to her and then leaves.

"You're so adorable when you worry..." The Deceiver rubs Talon's cheek. "That man is the future of Noxus...so no need to fret. He's also been watching over your training and is pretty amazed at your skills. So, I'm more than sure in his new Noxus, you'll be set for life." Shaco's demonic cackling interrupts LeBlanc, who is enjoying petting Talon. "What's so funny, clown?"

"Nothing, nothing...I'm just thinking of the many ways to kill, and just imagining their faces as their lives fade away..." Shaco can't finish his sentence before he breaks out into heavy laughter.

"Do what you feel like _after_ we complete our objectives, Shaco."

"All work and no play makes Shaco a dull boy." He continues his demonic cackling until the Deceiver silences him. The trio lock eyes on the group of people who have walked in, at the center being Grand General Boram Darkwill. Talon is amazed at how young the man looks, who was rumored to be ruling Noxus since the days of the Black Rose in its prime. Talon, curious at the man's questionable age turns to ask the Deceiver her opinion on the matter, but is disturbed to see the pure hatred and anger directed towards Boram. This is a side of the Deceiver that Talon has never seen. The normally intelligent, seductive woman is now a mage of great power, fueled by rage.

"Are you boys ready..." Shaco and Talon ready their weapons and nod. Shaco begins cackling like a maniac but this time...everyone in the lobby can hear it. They all look around confused, and whispers fill the air. "Hello, Boram..." Suddenly all eyes are on the trio. The Grand General falls to his knees stunned and frightened. People begin to panic at the sight of Shaco to which it gives him more fuel to laugh. The trio slowly but surely make their way to the Grand General. The guards surrounding Boram ready their weapons and charge at them. Shaco and Talon begin to charge as well meeting the guards in a clash of steel, but make quick work of them as they cut them down within seconds. The trio finally reach Boram, who doesn't even move out of fear. "What's the matter..._GRAND GENERAL_?" The venom in the Deceiver's voice was very evident. Boram raises a single finger at LeBlanc.

"You...you should be dead...I made sure of it!" LeBlanc lightly chuckles.

"I should be...but I'm very much alive as you can see." The sound of guards rushing to the aid of the Grand General catches the trio's attention. The Deceiver snaps her finger and Talon vanishes, then reappears in front of the guards in an explosion of daggers, killing most, and fatally wounding the rest.

"That power..." Boram looks surprised at this boy, who he's never seen or heard of, take out at least ten guards with one move. He then looks to Shaco and the Deceiver. "You taught a young boy the forbidden ways?!" Shaco grins from ear to ear, and begins to juggle his daggers. He looks to LeBlanc who nods back to him. Shaco drops the smile to a stern face. He grabs onto Boram's hair with one hand, and uses the dagger in the other to make a quick slash across his neck. Boram's eyes go wide open but then shut once Shaco tugs upward, detaching his head from his shoulders. Shaco hands the head to LeBlanc who begins to laugh like a maniac.

"Finally...after all these years..." She continues laughing. "Now...you two. Kill everyone you can find, and make sure-"

"TALON!" The trio stops in their tracks and looks at the double doors to spot Marcus with Juggernaut. Shaco readies his daggers but is told to put them away.

"This is the boy's fight. If that man dies...he's ours." Shaco makes a pout face but obeys the Deceiver's wishes. They back away and observe Talon, who is readying his swords.

"My god...Talon. What did they do to you?" Marcus is focused on Talon's glowing red eyes. "Please...speak to me!"

"Enjoy the taste of steel!" Talon vanishes and reappears behind Marcus, but the man is quick to react and rolls away. Talon readies for his follow up attack, but is interrupted by Juggernaut who swings his hammer downwards. Talon easily sidesteps the slam and sends a flurry of slashes to the man's left arm, rendering it useless. He smiles thinking he can no longer wield his weapon, but to his amazement, Juggernaut lifts his mighty hammer with only his right arm and begins to swing as if the two hands were just for show. Talon evades most of the swings but attempts to block one with his swords. The force of the blow throws Talon like a ragdoll. Juggernaut charges to Talon and lifts his hammer to finish him off but falters when he hears Marcus screaming for him to stop. This gives Talon the chance to pull on the string attached to his wrist, launching multiple blades into Juggernaut's chest, which then explode outwards ripping his heart out. The monster sized man collapses to the ground, pooling blood everywhere. Talon gets up and grabs his swords. Shaco's cackling lets him know that what he just did was satisfactory to his Master's expectations.

"Talon, I finally understand...", Marcus begins to walk towards Talon, "they're using magic to control you." Talon points a sword at Marcus but it doesn't stop him from walking. Marcus finally gets within range for Talon to stab him but for some reason he doesn't , he just keeps pointing his sword at Marcus. Marcus slowly lowers the tip of Talon's sword. "I know you're being controlled because you told me you would take orders from me...and only me..."

_'Ow! What the fuck...? What the hell is happening?'_

"Shaco! Stop that man! Talon's starting to remember!" Shaco quickly rushes at Marcus but he's ready for it as he pulls out his custom made swords and begins to parry all of Shaco's attacks. Talon drops to one knee and grabs onto his head. He appears to be in great pain, and attempting to fight it off.

_'What am I doing here...I thought I was in that dungeon with that psycho clown...' _

The sound of clashing steel clicks into Talon's mind. He pans his head to view Shaco knock Marcus to the ground. Marcus looks too exhausted to continue fighting, so he leans his head down in defeat. Shaco begins to laugh and looks towards Talon. He snaps his fingers and Talon immediately gets back up. He grabs his swords and makes his way to Shaco and Marcus.

"Here you go, Talon. I'll give you the honor of dealing the final the blow...once you do, all the power you could ever want will be yours." Talon ignores Shaco and brings his sword upward to behead Marcus.

"FATHER! TALON! PLEASE STOP!"

_'That voice...'_

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, STREET RAT?!"

_'Oh god how I loathe that voice of hers...wait a minute, I can remember now! What the hell am I doing? Why am I going to kill Marcus?'_

I lower my swords and focus on Kat. Not sure what the hell she's doing here but I don't even question it. I then look to Marcus; he has his head down in defeat.

"This looks kind of like how we first met, doesn't it Marcus?" Marcus looks up at me and smiles. I give him a small smirk back.

"Shaco, you fool! Kill that man; the spell broke!" I see at the corner of my eye, that psycho clown bring his dagger into a stab aimed at Marcus's heart. I block it with one sword and pierce Shaco through the gut with the other. Shaco makes a light cough and spurts blood onto Marcus's face...but then begins to cackle. In a puff of smoke Shaco, who I thought was on the end of my blade, vanishes and reappears next to the Deceiver. I look at him and see that he is perfectly fine. I'm such an idiot...I stabbed the puppet. The Deceiver begins to softly laugh. "You win for now, Talon...I've already got what I needed." She lifts up the head of Boram Darkwill. "One day, Talon, you will join me..." Shaco gives me his signature grin from ear to ear, and LeBlanc blows a kiss directed towards me. They vanish soon after. I stand there stunned. My brain is still trying to comprehend the fact that it has had no control for a good month now, so my head is killing me. I drop my swords and sit on the floor. Marcus slides over next to me.

"Did I do all this?" I look from left to right and see nothing but fallen guards. Marcus puts a hand on my shoulder.

"For the sake of you to not get executed; you didn't." I make a small chuckle, but Marcus doesn't seem to find it as funny. I sit down and try to comprehend how I was able to pull off this carnage without even a scratch getting on me. I joined forces with a demon and killed all these innocent peo-FUCK! I look at the back of my right shoulder and find a jagged dagger embedded into it. I see Kat readying another one but Marcus stops her. I keep eye contact with her as I yank it out of my shoulder and slowly walk towards her with the dagger in hand. Once again, all her confidence seems to drain away and get replaced by fear. Something that only I seem to manage to do to her. Once I reach her, I look down at her with the dagger in hand.

"I...", she takes a few small steps backwards away from me, "I deserved that." She looks at me confused as I hand the dagger back to her. "I've probably cause a lot of trouble in your home I'm assuming. My apologies." Kat begins to blush which is very confusing to me. "Did I say something weird?"

"No...it's just...it's good to have..." She sounds as if she wants to say something but can't. I give her a small half smile.

"You don't have to say anymore. I'm glad to be back." Her blush deepens, so she looks to the ground and turns away from me. I then face Marcus. "Marcus, what the hell are we going to do about this mess?" He nods and begins to light a cigarette. He takes a few puffs before answering me.

"Simple." I wait for more to that answer but it never comes. I motion my hand for him to continue. "Well you see, I'm General Marcus DuCouteau." Wow...who knew generals could even get away with things like this. Footsteps from a distant corridor, followed by the pounding of something on the ground after each step gets our attention. From around the corner steps an older man in a gold and green blazer, walking with the assistance of a cane. Seemingly attached to his shoulder, is a massive bird with more than the normal two eyes. Marcus begins walking to meet him halfway, but for some reason, that man and his bird have their eyes on me. The bird's gaze seems to pierce through my soul, as if it will know who I am from the inside out just by looking at me. Even as Marcus and the man greet each other, their gaze doesn't leave me. I get some weird feeling like I've seen him before but I just can't seem to remember. Marcus looks at the direction the man is looking and begins to lead him over to me. Marcus stops to say something but the man continues hobbling towards me.

"So...you were the one brainwashed by the Black Rose?" The man slowly circles around me, inspecting me from top to bottom.

"Yes. Are you an acquaintance to Marcus?" The man stops in front of me and sticks out his hand.

"General Jericho Swain, Master Tactician of the Noxian military." I grab onto his hand for a firm handshake, but as I do, odd images of a massive demon bird flash into my mind. I close my eyes to see more clearly, but the images leave my mind, so I finish the handshake.

"Talon...", he looks at me expectantly as if that wasn't my full name, "the Blade's Shadow." He turns around to look at the massacre around us.

"The Blade's Shadow, eh?" He twists his neck at an odd angle until a loud crack is heard. "That would explain all this." General Swain turns around and begins to walk back to his office. "Marcus, come with me. We're going to have quite the problem in our hands now that Darkwill is dead."

"Wait!" General Swain and Marcus stop and look at me. "What do I do now?" Swain turns back around and continues walking.

"Take Marcus's daughter, and go home boy. Forget about what has happened here today." He steps right onto a dead guard as if he were a part of the floor. "You have done me a favor in culling the weak."

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**It's quite the stretch, but what I was trying to do with this chapter was swap from the third-person POV to Talon's first-person POV. Did it work? Am I doing fine with my story so far? Help me improve by reviewing! Hopefully the story's enjoyable, and hopefully I don't get too lazy to write this, (football practice during the summer kills the man). Well, I'm in the process of writing chapter 13, hopefully I will be done by next week. See ya till then.**


	13. Riven's Morning

**Surprise chapter! Finished it earlier than expected. This is the chapter for the people asking for romantic developments, and even though it may be small progress, it's still is what it is. Progress. Also, you guys should probably start fighting (not literally) over who you guys think Talon should be with, cause I'm neutral to a lot of the Talon pairings. Cause I mean he is a total badass, he could have anyone! Well, hope you enjoy this chapter. Read and review so I can make improvements! See ya at chapter 14!**

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As soon as I returned to the DuCouteau house, fatigue that has collected over my amnesia period has caught up to me. I slept throughout the rest of the day and then some. I wish I could say it was a peaceful sleep, but in reality, my dreams were haunted by visions of the demon bird. As it moved about, I witnessed it suck the life out of any living creature within range. The part that unnerves me the most is that these images don't really feel like dreams, but more like memories. The next morning is a rough one, my body feels extremely sore, and my head is killing me. As much as I'd like to stay in bed, I have to keep my routine going. I force myself out of bed and wash up in the bathroom. I scrub off all the dirt and blood that has dried onto my skin over the past month. Wherever I was, it was not sanitary. I finish my routine by brushing my teeth, and changing into freshly washed clothes. I step down into the living room, only to find out that not a single person inside the house is awake. A quick check of the time reveals that it is only 6:45 am, and that it's a Sunday. My stomach begins to growl, so I head out to the familiar apple tree in the yard and begin to pick out some fresh fruit. I decide against sitting under the tree due to the mud caused by the storm, so I decide to sit on the front porch. As I'm sitting I observe my surroundings. The guards at their posts seem to be bored beyond belief, which is understandable. The small critters scurry along in search of food before the predators wake up. Also Riven seems to be out for a run, or should I say sprint? ... Wait a second. I cock my head to the side in confusion before I'm tackled to the porch. I sigh in sadness as I watch the apple I was enjoying roll out of my hand and into the mud.

"You owe me an apple, Riven." She responds by putting her mouth on my neck. An odd sensation begins to take effect. A sensation of...pleasure, perhaps? I don't like it. Such a peculiar act shouldn't feel good, so I sit up and move Riven off of me. She then rests her head onto my shoulder.

"Everyone thought you were gone for good."

"Come on now, you know I'm not going to die so easily." Riven lightly laughs.

"I guess that's true..." She begins to blush. "I was so worried about you."

"My apologies. It wasn't my intention to make anyone worry."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize for it!" Even though she tells me I didn't need to apologize, it seemed to make her happy to hear me say it. She looks to the ground in thought, then stands up. "I've had some time to think, Talon. At the orphanage when I asked you about a partnership..." She begins to go red, and her words start to get twisted. "W-w-well...I wanted to know if umm...you'd like to be my training p-partner!" She looks to me for an answer, so I begin to think. I nod my head in thought for a few moments before responding.

"I guess I could..." Her face lights up and she begins to smile. "But..." Her smile fades away. "It can't be all the time, I've got training with Marcus and with Katarina."

"But...we would still be able to work together, right?" I nod a yes.

"Not all the time though, but yeah I could make time to help you, too."

"Are you open right now?" I'm thrown back by her wish to suddenly train.

"Well, yeah I am-"

"Then come train with Master Aella and I right now." She grabs onto my hand and looks me in the eye. Her emerald eyes seem to enchant me, so I give in and agree.

"Let me go get my blade..." She smiles and tells me she'll wait out here for me. Once back inside I see that it's 7:00 am, and still no one is awake. As to not disturb anyone, I quietly make my way to my room and retrieve my arm blade. I meet Riven outside who is captivated by my weapon of choice. As we walk to her house, she begins to go on and on about odd weapons. I intently listen, but I don't say a word, and she doesn't seem to mind it that way. From what I've heard, Riven is normally shy and reserved, so I guess she lets loose whenever I'm with her. Why does she seem to be more comfortable around me? I couldn't answer that even if I've spent a millennium to think it over. Riven goes silent once we reach the front door to her home. She places her ear to the door and tells me to be quiet. I'm confused but I agree. Just to be safe, I get my blade ready for action. Riven slowly opens the door and steps inside, so I follow her example and slowly step inside as well. I notice once we're both inside, that there's not a single soul to be found. Riven begins to walk towards the end of the living room when a man lunges seemingly out of nowhere with a weapon in hand. My reflexes kick in and I intervene slicing the man's weapon in half and sending a kick to his chest, launching him backwards. I hear behind me multiple enemies coming out of hiding. I use the couch as a launch pad and jump over Riven; directly landing onto the assailants. Three of them are standing before me, so I send a quick slash, cutting their weapons in half. I lunge forward and tackle the first one in front of me up against the wall. I cock my blade back and send it in a stab to the man's neck, but before it connects, something tips my blade, slightly pushing it off to the side of the man's head. My blade pierces the wall and gets stuck.

"Take it easy there, Blade's Shadow." I look to the right of me and find Lady Aella standing there with a wooden training sword in her arms. "Could you let that man go? He looks like he's about to cry." I check on the man in front of me and see that he's only a few years older than myself. His face seems to have been drained of all color and his lips are puckered inward to hold in a scream. I remove my arm from his chest, but he just slides down the wall and sits on the floor silently. I turn around to look behind me and find the man I kicked being guided out of the room with the support of two other men. I look to Lady Aella, thinking she would be furious but all she does is laugh. "As expected of one of Marcus's elites!" She places her training sword between her legs and helps me yank out my blade. She then bends over to talk to the shell shocked man on the floor. "Every day is a gift from this point forward, you understand? One inch to the left and your head would have been gone." She pats him on the shoulder thinking what she said would cheer him up, but it has the opposite effect. He grabs onto his knees and curls up into fetal position. She stands back up and looks to me. "So, what brings you here today?" Riven slowly comes to my side and locks her arms into mine.

"Training." That's all Riven says to Lady Aella before she guides me down the hall to a room with a nice, polished hardwood floor. Riven goes to a closet at the corner of the room and steps inside. What she steps out with completely blows my mind. It's a sword of massive proportions. It's almost as tall as Riven herself, and looks to be nearly forty pounds of pure iron. She swings it around with one arm as if it weighs nothing to her.

"You want to call my weapon odd? Look at that fucking monster!" Riven smiles at me. She closes her eyes and begins to concentrate on something that I'm not entirely sure of. Suddenly, her sword begins to glow bright green. An invisible force emanates from her sword, and it pushes me back a little.

"You may be my hero, Talon...", without warning Riven dashes at me, "but I'm no longer helpless." Each of her blows are quick and powerful. The sheer size of her weapon also make this duel all the more difficult. I'm able to parry, but I cannot fight back. Riven jumps into the air attempting to bring her sword down into a slam. I would no doubt lose the fight if that hit would connect, but my body had other plans. In the blink of an eye, my body seemingly teleported behind Riven as she landed. I use this odd opportunity to sweep her legs and disarm her. She looks at me with a stunned expression. I drop to one knee as my head begins to fill with more images of the demon bird...and that psycho clown.

"Well that was a fight full of surprises." I look off to the side and see Lady Aella. She walks over to Riven, and flicks her on the forehead. "Surprise number one, seeing Riven lose," Lady Aella then looks at me, "surprise number two was that move of yours. I know for a fact Marcus doesn't know how to do that." As the images fade from my mind, I rise back onto my feet. Lady Aella stands still, expecting an answer from me. I'm not sure how to answer her since even I don't know how I did it.

"My body did it on its own...does that make sense?"

"Not one bit." Lady Aella places her chin down on her hands with the support of her training sword. "Do you think you could do it again? That was pretty interesting." I close my eyes and focus my mind. I picture myself behind Lady Aella, and once I open my eyes sure enough I'm behind her. She turns around and places a hand on my forehead. She tells me to not move as she concentrates on her hand. My head begins to feel heavy as her hand begins to shine a light. The brightness of the light causes me to close my eyes until she removes her hand from my head. "Talon." The urgency in her voice puts me off. The normally relaxed tone has all but disappeared. "Stay right here. I need to talk to Marcus." She then leaves me alone in the room.

"Talon?" Riven's voice makes me jump a little. I forgot she was there.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to be alright? Master Aella sounded very serious..." I sit down next to her on the floor.

"I feel fine. Maybe she's just curious if Marcus really did teach me that move or not." Riven gives me a small smile.

"Did he?"

"To be honest...I'm not sure. My body just kind of...did it."

"That's not a very good answer."

"I understand that. It's the only answer I have as of now." We sit in silence for a few moments before I decide things are getting awkward. "Forget my abilities for a moment, you're pretty good. Only Marcus has been able to beat me, and you came pretty close." Riven tries to hide the true excitement on her face caused by my praise, but just can't, so she looks down to the floor.

"Well..." She faces me and begins to crawl towards me, causing me to unconsciously back up slowly. "I just couldn't stop thinking about you when you helped me escape...I thought you died for my sake..." She gets very close to my face, and I can feel her warm breath against my lips. "It motivated me to become stronger...so no one would ever have to die from my weakness again..." She begins to lean in for a kiss, and I don't stop her.

"Oh my mistake. Are we interrupting something?" Riven stops, and quickly wraps her arms around her knees, hiding her face that is burning red. I look up and find Marcus and Lady Aella. "I heard you beat Riven, Talon. That's not an easy task."

"It really wasn't."

"On a more serious note...could you show me the ability Gremora was talking about." I silently nod my yes, and rise to my feet. I close my eyes and picture myself behind Marcus. Once I open my eyes, I am. He looks around for a bit until I tap on his shoulders, startling him. He drops his mouth in amazement. He looks to Gremora with a cheeky smile on his face. "Gremora, did you see who taught him that ability when you checked his memories?" So that's what that was...

"Well..." She looks to the floor then back to Marcus. "It was Shaco, the Demon Jester. I don't know how Talon met him, or better yet how he got to be acquainted with him, but that's who taught him."

"Didn't Marcus tell you?" Lady Aella gives me a confused look.

"Tell me what?" Marcus quickly rushes over to my side and whispers into my ear.

"Quiet, boy! It's best to not let people know you were affiliated with the Black Rose!" My mind scrambles for a bit to come up with a response for Lady Aella.

"That...Kat taught me how to do that..." I hear Riven quietly gasp to herself. To her, I lied that I didn't know how I did it. I mentally punch myself, but I'll figure out how to apologize to her some other time.

"Katarina taught you? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mix up the Demon Jester for Katarina..."

"Well I've been having nightmares for a few nights, maybe you saw one of those." Lady Aella raises an eyebrow in suspicion then looks to Marcus, who just shrugs his shoulders and begins to light a cigarette. She sighs and begins to shake her hand around.

"Maybe my magic is just getting weaker as I get older...still, good move there, Talon."

"Thanks." My stomach begins to rumble so Marcus grabs me by the shoulder.

"Well, Gremora, guess we know who has the better apprentice. Ciao!" Marcus begins to push my shoulders, guiding me towards the exit. "Breakfast is calling our name!" Lady Aella lightly laughs and nods her head. Before we exit, I look to Riven who gives me a sad look of betrayal. Sorry, Riven...I'll make it up to you somehow.


	14. My First Mission

Marcus drags me into his office and quickly locks us in after making sure no one is around. He turns to me with a grin from ear to ear.

"That move, Talon...do it for me just once more?" I close my eyes and focus, then reopen them once I'm behind Marcus. "Excellent! To think you've learned one of the forbidden techniques!"

"I'm confused, Marcus." He puts an arm on my shoulder.

"The forbidden techniques were abilities used in ancient Noxian warfare that only few could master..." he releases my shoulder and begins to walk to the door, "an old Noxian leader considered them forbidden for anyone to use since he wasn't able to learn them for himself, severely damaging his pride." He begins to chuckle lightly. "You're already a master swordsman who's practically on par with me...but that just puts you one step above me now!" Marcus pokes his head outside the office door, and then comes back inside after checking if no one was around. "I think you know more than one forbidden technique."

"What makes you say that?"

"While you were under the Black Rose's control, it seemed as if you were executing invisibility on command, and the Demon Jester's blade explosion abilities." His voice's tone becomes low. "Are you absolutely positive you remember nothing from that past month?" I close my eyes to try and remember, but only visions of the demon bird and shaking General Swain's hand appear. I nod my head for no.

"Every time I try to remember, I get weird visions in my mind." Marcus starts lighting another cigarette as he heads to the chair behind his desk.

"Must be the Deceiver's way of making sure you don't release any incriminating information against the Black Rose." He blows out a cloud of smoke, and then begins to write something on a piece of paper. "Well, that's all I wanted to discuss. Go down and grab some breakfast." I bow my head for Marcus, then exit his office.

As I make my way downstairs I overhear Cassie and Kat discussing homework from school. The sound of my footsteps causes them both to be silent as I make my way to the table. I get to a chair, but just can't get myself to sit down. Cassie and Kat's stare is just too intense, so I speak up.

"Am I a conversation killer, or something?" Kat quickly responds.

"No, no! Cassie just told me to be quiet and I was just curious as to why-" Cassie interrupts her.

"Where exactly did you go this morning?" Cassie says it with a smile on her face, but something about it sounded venomous to me. "I wanted to greet you since I haven't seen you in a while, but my plans were ruined when you weren't in your room."

"I'm not even going to ask what your plans were, but I was helping Riven train this morning." Cassie's eye twitches, but before she could speak, Kat stands up quickly with an upset expression.

"I thought _we _were training partners!"

"We are...why are you so upset over me helping Riven for one day?"

"I-I-I'm not upset!" Cassie finally pipes up with a calm tone.

"We're just worried about your well being." Confusion becomes expressed on my face.

"And why's that?" Cassie takes a small bite of her pancakes, wipes her mouth, and then speaks.

"Who knows what that girl is up to...?" Cassie stands up and walks over to me, "don't you find it odd how attached to you she is?"

"I find it odd how you're attached to me as well." A light giggle escapes her lips. My body begins to feel stiff as she looks me in the eye.

"I refuse to lose to that neighbor girl, Talon..."

"Lose? What the hell are you talking abo-" Her eyes suddenly begin to glow a light green. Kat quickly rushes over to Cassie, but she just tells her to stand aside. I try to move away but my body feels completely numb. She grabs my arm and begins to drag me up the stairs. No matter how hard I try to fight it, I just cannot seem to move.

"Cassie! W-what in the world are you doing to Talon!" Even though Kat says that...she slowly follows Cassie and I with her face in a deep blush.

"Kat, I just need to show Talon how I'm better for him than that neighbor girl!" As Cassie brings me to her room I'm able to choke out some words.

"You're...crazy..." Cassie brings me to her bed, and tosses me onto it like a ragdoll.

"And whose fault do you think that is!" Cassie gets on top of me, so I roll my eyes over to Kat as a signal for help, but she just stands there with her blush and curiosity, every now and then she'll whisper 'Cassie, stop.' "I accepted you in this house when Katarina hated you...I'm drop dead gorgeous...my own father approves of you and I, what more do you want!"

"Why...do you...like me so much?!"

"Because you're the only boy to ever treat me like a person and not some pretty face!" I look over to Kat once more whose blush disappears. She then begins to listen intently as Cassie begins to tear up. "Everyone just seems to acknowledge how beautiful I am...you on the other hand...you don't even mention it. You just talk to me...I've even tried a few methods of seduction to see if you would fall for my looks, but you just brushed it off...and soon enough I really did end up l-l-lov...liking you a lot!" I begin to feel control of my body coming back to me so I sit up. Cassie lets a few tears fall down her face so Kat comes over to her side and rubs her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"I'm sorry I never noticed, Cassie." She rubs her eyes and looks up at me. "I'm a thief, and a killer. I don't have emotions like that. I forget that everyone here is not like me. If it has anything to do with emotions I'm not any good. In fact this is my attempt at cheering you up...how did I do?" Cassie smiles and wraps her arms around me in a hug, then leans up and kisses me on the cheek.

"It's a good start. You can go now, Talon, sorry for all the trouble I've caused you." I give Cassie a half smile as she gets off of me. I head to the door and wave at Cassie and Kat as I exit the room. I shut the door behind me and sigh. Maybe Cassie will stop being psycho now? I chuckle to myself as I think, even if she doesn't change, either way would be fine by me.

I head back down to the dining area where I find a plate of pancakes and eggs waiting for me. A servant passes by me about to eat and insists on getting myself a fresh plate, but I tell him its fine. Cold or hot; food is energy, and energy is life. Or at least that's how I think of it. I've learned in the higher class society, food is more like art rather than a necessity to survival. It bothers me immensely whenever I watch Marcus, Kat, or Cassie toss out plates full of food, but I always hold my tongue. It's not my place to judge their lifestyle like how it's not their place to judge mine...even though Katarina has done nothing _but_ judge how I lived before she started to tolerate me. Oh well, that's just how she is I guess.

As I finish up my breakfast, I head to the sink to clean my plate, but a servant snatches it from my hand to clean it for me. They all seem bothered by the fact I try so hard to be independent. I've never depended on people before, and I sure as hell am not going to start anytime soon. I sigh and go to my room to grab my blade, and then I head over to the training room. I step inside and notice I'm alone, which is odd since there are always at least two or three elites in here training. I step out and walk to Marcus's office, where I spot him nose deep in a book. He is so into the book he doesn't hear me step inside, so I walk to over to his desk. I clear my throat and he finally acknowledges my presence. He closes his book and places it in a drawer under his desk.

"Need something, Talon?"

"Just an answer. Where are your elites at?" He looks at me with a baffled expression.

"What do you mean where? You already killed about half of them. I gave the rest some time off while they help me recruit new people."

"Oh...Marcus, I am so sorry..."

"Ah, don't be... I'm just going to have to go at a slower pace to complete missions given to me by Jericho..." He leans back in his chair and sighs.

"If there's anything I can help with, you can count on me." Marcus looks up at me with one eye, while his other eye is closed. He then begins to stroke his beard in thought.

"You're still young...do you think you could carry out a mission?" I glare at him.

"Marcus, this is me we're talking about. You're treating me as if I'm completely inexperienced." He begins to laugh.

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. Tell you what..." he reaches into a drawer from the bottom of his desk and pulls out a thick file; he sorts through the file and pulls out a wanted poster, "I'll give you a simple mission as a test run." He places the poster on the desk and slides it over to me. I look it over and it reads as follows:

_**WANTED: Alec 'The Gunslinger' Sattern**_

_**Wanted for multiple counts of murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, and two counts of rape.**_

_**Known as 'The Gunslinger' among bandits in the slums.**_

_**Skilled marksman, armed with two hextech revolvers.**_

_**Reward of 500 gold pieces for his capture, dead or alive.**_

I grab the poster and stuff it into my pocket.

"So, the mission is kill this guy-"

"OR capture." I lightly laugh.

"Kill this guy, and bring his body back?" Marcus nods his head for yes. He reaches into another drawer for the final time and hands me a card. The card has the Noxian High Command insignia on it, but nothing else.

"Whatever you do, do NOT lose that card. It will tell guards to look the other way if they stop you for whatever reason, and get you practically anything, including transportation, for free." I nod my head, and place it in my other pocket. Before I leave Marcus tells me one last thing. "Don't go overboard." I chuckle lightly as I make my way to a carriage back to the slums.

**20 minutes later**

After a short ride by carriage, I step out into the marketplace of my old home. I stretch out my body and ready my blade. I pull out the wanted poster and begin to ask around hoping to find some information that would lead me to this criminal. I catch a lucky break when a drunken fool tells me the man I'm looking for was just at the same bar he was at. With the promise that I would buy him a drink, the drunk leads me to the Gunslinger. We cut through an alleyway and walk to a lone door in this alleyway. The drunk turns the knob and starts to push but the door won't open.

"Well, well...looksh like itsh locked, buddy..." I grab the knob, turn and pull, and sure enough the door opens. Damn fool. As we step inside the bar; everyone takes a look at us, and then goes back to their own business. I walk over to the counter and get greeted by a burly man, riddled with scars. In his hand he's holding a cup and towel, he spits on the towel and begins to scrub the cup with it.

"What can I do fer ya?" I reach into my pocket and pull out the wanted poster.

"I'm looking for this man known as the 'Gunslinger'. Have you seen him around?" The man eyes me up and down, and then spits on the floor.

"Maybe, I did, maybe I didn't. Ya just don't come in here askin' them kinds of questions, boy." The familiar click of a gun from the other side of the bar snaps me into attention. I look behind me at a table in the corner of the room and see a man slowly pulling out two revolvers that match the description of his weapons. I look over the poster once more and see that he matches the sketch of the 'Gunslinger'. I stuff the poster back in my pocket and ready my blade as I walk over to the man. As I reach his table, he doesn't move.

"Alec Sattern, better known as 'The Gunslinger'?" The only response I get is a small smile before he suddenly jumps upwards, guns loaded and begins to fire at me. Everyone in the bar scrambles for cover and I jump over the bar counter waiting for the gunfire to stop. As silence ensues, and a lone pair of footsteps takes its place, I quickly jump over the bar counter once again and send my legs in a swipe and kick one gun out of the man's hands. I roll to the right as he begins to fire at me once more, and then charge forward once his bullets ran out. The man is stronger than I expected since he steps off to the side and grabs my arm in an attempt to lift me up and toss me away. Instead, when he grabs my arm, I use my blade to chop downwards, completely detaching his hand from his body. He screams in agony for a moment, but I quickly silence him when I send my blade in a quick slash across his neck, decapitating him. I lower my blade but get startled when I hear another cock of a gun. I turn around and see the burly bartender wielding a large double barreled shotgun, aimed directly at me.

"Boy, there be only two things I hate in this world: Demacians, and bounty hunters. And you fit the criteria of one of 'em, alright." Time seems to slow down for me as I notice his finger begins to squeeze down on the trigger. I close my eyes and appear behind the bartender as he fires into the floor. He stands puzzled for a moment until I pierce my blade through him. He drops the gun to the floor and spits out a large amount of blood from his mouth. I release my blade from his body and he drops like a ragdoll. I look around me and notice the other patrons of the bar staring me down as if they want to kill me. I smirk at them and begin to taunt.

"Anyone else want to cross me?" ... No response. That's what I thought. I look behind the bar for something to hold the Gunslinger's decapitated head in, and find a burlap sack. I jump over the counter, grab the head, and place it in the sack. I look over to the patrons who are all staring at me. "Since the bartender's dead...drinks on me!" And like wild animals they all charge behind the bar for free drinks as I make my way out the door, feeling good about my first mission.


	15. Mole Hunt

"So, Marcus" I lift up the bloody sack and shake it around, "how'd I do?" Marcus gets up and walks over to the bag and takes it from my hand. He looks inside and immediately closes it.

"Please don't tell me you've been walking through the city with a dismembered head all day..."

"Alright...I won't tell you..." Marcus chuckles, and places a towel out on his desk. He puts the bag on the towel and pats me on the shoulder.

"I'll call someone to pick this up. I'll give you the reward money when it gets here." I bow my head in gratitude. Marcus dismisses me and goes back to writing on a piece of paper. I stand there so Marcus looks up to me. "Need something else, Talon?"

"Well, I can do more if you need anything else done. That was too simple." Marcus grins and pulls out the thick file from earlier. He sorts through it and pulls out a handwritten paper from the Noxian High Command and slides it to me. The paper was written by General Swain in collaboration with the now dead Grand General Darkwill. The paper reads as follows:

_To Marcus DuCouteau, General of the 101st Infantry Regiment and leader of the DuCouteau Elite _

_We have reason to believe the Secretary of Defense, Gregor Mendell, has stolen Noxian battle tactics with the intention of handing them over to Demacia for personal financial gain. If any future conflicts were to occur between our two city-states, Demacia would greatly have the upper hand. On behalf of the Noxian High Command, Grand General Darkwill and myself have appointed a new Secretary of Defense but cannot make it official until Gregor Mendell has died. Do Noxus a great favor in removing the traitor permanently. Our sources tell us he plans on meeting a mole for Demacia at the Sleeping Lion Inn just outside the walls of Noxus on the eighth of June, at 6:00 pm. Mendell will be heavily guarded as the exchange takes place, so by any means necessary, kill him, the mole, and all who attempt to stop you._

_Sincerely, Jericho Swain, General of the 272nd Infantry Regiment and Master Tactician of Noxus_

Marcus begins to light a cigarette as I finish reading. He blows smoke directly at me, so I wave my hand around to get it out of my face.

"The stakes are higher on this one, Talon." I nod my head, and fold the paper into squares and place it in my pocket. "When you kill Mendell, I want you to grab those battle tactics and bring them to me. I was going to do this one myself, but I trust you enough to go in my place."

"I won't fail you." I bow my head to Marcus and he waves his hand off to dismiss me. As I open the door Katarina falls right into my chest. She must've had her ear to the door in curiosity. She looks up to me with a deep blush and begins speaking rapidly to make up an excuse.

"S-s-sorry, I was going to talk to my father and you just happened to be there as I was about to enter, I wasn't listening in or anything plus I would never touch you on purpose, but not because you're dirty or anything it's just that I know you want your personal space-" I grab her by the shoulders, so she goes silent, and I move her off to the side and out of my way. I continue walking without even looking back, but I hear her following me so I stop. I turn around and sure enough she's right behind me.

"Can I help you?" Kat looks to the ground, then back up to me.

"I know you're going to be doing things for my father...but will you still have time to be my training partner?" At first I think she wants to stop me from getting more of her father's praise, but the sincerity in her eyes tells me otherwise.

"Of course. That's the main reason I'm here in this house, so don't worry." She gives me a smile that makes my chest feel heavy, and turns around and quickly walks off. I grab my chest to make sure I'm not having a heart attack or something as I make my way to a carriage that'll take me directly to the Sleeping Lion Inn.

**Outside the Sleeping Lion Inn, 5:37 pm**

I sit in a tree branch just outside the target building, waiting for anyone who might be suspicious. Looking for a mole is harder than I thought since everyone who's been going into the inn looks like your average Noxian citizen. That's understandable. You wouldn't want to be sticking out like a sore thumb when you're trying to steal information from the country's government. I decide it would be best to wait for Gregor Mendell, and it should be obvious who he is since he'll be heavily guarded. I lay my back down and lean against the tree to rest while I wait. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, three carriages pull up to the building. The first carriage in front, and the final carriage in the back open up, letting loose twenty five royal guards in total. They spread out in various positions inside and outside the building. The carriage in the middle opens up, releasing a fat man in elegant clothing. He reaches into the carriage and pulls out a thin tube like container, and then walks into the building. This man must obviously be Gregor Mendell, so I jump down from the tree and onto the street below. I get my blade ready and move to the side of the building. On the side of the building is a tree branch that'll lead me to the second floor of the inn through an open window. The only problem being the two guards standing by the tree having a smoke. I get as close as I could without them hearing me and close my eyes. I appear behind the unsuspecting guard facing his buddy leaning on the tree and quickly slash the back of his neck. The guard leaning on the tree has no time to react before I pierce his heart. I move the bodies out of sight and behind a bush, and then climb up the tree. Once I'm up there, I'm able to look through the second floor window and notice multiple guards in the hallway. This will definitely put a damper on things, but I shake that thought out of my mind. I take a deep breath and ready my body before I leap into the window. As I roll onto my feet, time seems to slow down when I notice the guards ready their spears. A guard to my right sends his spear forward in an attempt to stab me, but with my left hand I push it off to the side and use my blade to slash his gut. I turn my attention to the two guards charging towards me. I sweep their legs, tripping them both and slash their necks mid fall. I hear voices in a room at the end of the hall and then silence. I step by the door quietly and place my ear to it. I wait a few moments before a voice speaks.

"Do you think it's over?" "No."

The second voice sounded close to the door, so I assume he's waiting for me to enter. I stand off to the side and push it open. Sure enough, another guard comes charging out spear sticking outward. I grab his arm and break it, then toss him over the balcony of the second floor. I step inside the room and notice a man jump out the window with the tube in hand. I look to the fat man, who looks at me in fear.

"Gregor Mendell?" He nods silently.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" The only answer I give him is a blade across his neck. I hear multiple guards running quickly up the stairs, but I don't have time to deal with them. I jump out the window and pursue the man with the tube in hand. I walk out into the street and see him making a break for it into the forest. I quickly follow his footsteps and run into the forest. Once I'm in the forest I notice there are too many bushes to keep following him by foot, so I quickly climb into the trees and begin jumping from branch to branch. He looks back every now and then, but he suddenly begins to slow down, so I catch up. He then comes to a complete stop. He puts two fingers in his mouth and loudly whistles. A screech from a bird soon follows his whistle, but not just any bird, I can tell what it is from about a mile away. A Demacian eagle. It lands on the floor in front of the man, so he begins to strap the tube onto the back of the bird. I jump from the tree and appear behind the man. The bird suddenly begins to screech loudly but it's too late, I push my blade through the man and grab the tube attached to the eagle. This damn creature refuses to let me take the tube off his back, so I yank with all my might but only succeed in pulling the bird to floor, breaking one of its wings. I use it's suffering to my advantage and untie the tube from its back. I turn to leave since my mission is complete, but something stops me as I hear the bird crying out in pain. I turn back, and kneel beside the bird. Maybe I can take it with me? ... Wait, what am I thinking! This bird is an enemy! I should just put it out of its misery. Sudden footsteps from the forest catch my attention. I look at the direction of the sound and out steps a young girl.

"Valor!" The bird looks at the girl and stops crying. She quickly rushes over to the bird. "Valor, relax, I'm here now." As she inspects the bird I slowly back away. I then notice the symbol for Demacia in the form of a pin attached to her shirt, so I turn around and quickly rush out of the forest with the tube in hand. "Wait! I need that!" The girl calls to me but I just keep on running.

**Meanwhile, in the forest**

"Wait! I need that!" The man pays no attention to my calls as he takes off with the item I was supposed to collect. Great...Prince Jarvan trusted me and I failed. I pick up Valor and begin petting his head. I look at the spy on the ground to see if he's still alive. The pool of blood forming under his body tells me otherwise. I don't understand...Valor should have been able to warn him if anyone was coming...how did that mystery man get in close enough range to put a blade through him? I better hurry back to camp and report this to Prince Jarvan. I begin to walk back, careful not to injure Valor anymore. To keep him calm, I keep on petting his head, and every now and then kiss him on the beak. He loves that the most. As I'm walking my mind is on that mystery man. He was like a ghost! I never thought someone would be able to slip past Valor's watch! I look down at him in my arms and bring him closer to my body as we reach the camp. I'm greeted by the Prince's closest companion, Shyvana, as I walk in.

"I see you've returned, Quinn..." Shyvana looks in my arms, then back up to me. "Your bird is injured, and you seem to not have the information." I look down in shame.

"I know...I'd like to give an explanation to Prince Jarvan as to why I failed." Shyvana nods her head and motions for me to follow her. She leads me to the largest tent in the center of the camp and holds the front open for me to enter. I step inside and my heart begins to flutter. Prince Jarvan is looking over maps of the nearby area when he hears us enter. He stands up and rushes over to me.

"Quinn, is Valor ok?" He tries to pet Valor's head, but Valor snaps at him, so I pull Valor away.

"Valor, no! The Prince is our friend!" He squawks at me and eyes Prince Jarvan, then goes silent. "It's a minor fracture on his wing, so he should be ready to go with some rest in a few days."

"I see. I'm glad to hear it." He smiles at me, and I can't help but blush. He motions for me to sit across from him as he goes over the map. "Did you get the documents from our mole?" I nod my head for no, and feel completely embarrassed for my failure.

"Valor was about to, but some mysterious man who didn't look like he was a Noxian soldier, appeared out of nowhere and killed him. He was able to catch Valor, too, and that's how the fracture happened." Prince Jarvan rubs his chin in thought.

"The armor the man was wearing...what did it look like?" I close my eyes and try my best to remember.

"It was all black...and his weapon...it was something I've never seen before..."

"Was it a blade attached to the arm?" I look at the Prince in amazement.

"Yes, how did you know?" Jarvan chuckles lightly.

"Seems you had a run in with General DuCouteau's elite. You and Valor are lucky to be alive." Prince Jarvan says that, but I remember the man going back to Valor in worry, and then leaving us be...to think I let my emotions get the better of me in the presence of a powerful warrior.

"How do you know that, my Prince?"

"Please, call me Jarvan. And I know that because I've met General DuCouteau for myself at a meeting. He's probably the only Noxian man I've come to respect. He's a legendary swordsman in Noxus...hell, maybe all of Runeterra. At the meeting he personally introduced me to his elites and let me spar with one of them. Needless to say I stood no chance." I gasp in shock. To think these people are able to defeat Prince Jarvan! "Yes, I know, I know. It's shocking." He laughs lightly. "Of course I should have known a plan like this wouldn't have worked...General DuCouteau is smarter than to let someone betray Noxus without him knowing." Jarvan closes his eyes and sighs. "This is definitely going to have some political repercussions for sure..."

* * *

**Man I'm having a lot of fun coming up with missions to give Talon to show off his badass-itude (shout out to Mr. Torgue from BL2 for that word). What do you guys think, is it to your liking? Also I want to give thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews! They mean a lot to me! **


	16. Day Off - Part One

As I make my way back to Marcus within the walls of Noxus, I mentally beat myself up. Why, oh WHY, did I let an enemy spy get away alive! Her face taunts me in my head, so I hit myself with the tube repeatedly until her image disappears. For a moment I forget that I'm in the back of a carriage, promptly making the driver feel uncomfortable as I beat myself up mentally, and physically.

"Are you alright back there, sir?"

"Just keep going." The driver turns his head back to the road, and leaves me be. I decide that since I have nothing better to do while I wait to get back home; to take a look at what Marcus thought was so important that he would have went to grab himself. I grab the top and begin to twist until it pops off. I reach inside with two fingers and pinch out the first document my fingers touch. I unroll it and glance it over, but to my surprise they weren't exactly battle tactics in use currently. It's a map of Ionia, and various routes the Noxian military would take in the event of a war on Ionian land. Large Xs labeled over major Ionian cities catches my attention. I'm not sure what any of it means, but I am sure I'm not supposed to be reading this, so I roll it back up and seal it within the tube. I lean my head against the window of the carriage as my mind drifts back onto the Demacian spy I left alive. I then begin to bang my head against the window, so the driver looks back but says nothing. Why the hell do I seem to have a weakness against pretty girls...it may very well be the death of me one day.

The carriage comes to a stop as we reach the DuCouteau residence. I flash the card to the driver expecting payment, who nods his head with a sad expression, but out of common courtesy, I pull some money out of my pocket and hand it to him as a tip. He lights up and tips his hat to me with a smile as I exit the carriage. I quickly rush down the driveway and straight to Marcus's office. The man has his head buried in his arms and doesn't hear me come in.

"Marcus." ... No response.

"Marcus!" ...Still no response. I begin to walk towards him.

"Marcus, I'm back!" ...He snorts and lifts up his head. He rubs his face and wipes the little bit of drool off his mouth as he welcomes me back. Sometimes I wonder how this man is who he is when he is...himself.

He stretches his arms out as I place the tube on his desk. He nods his head to thank me, and begins to remove the top. He holds it upside down to let all the papers fall out. He yawns loudly and begins to read the documents. Suddenly, he stops looking at them lazily and reaches into his desk to grab a pair of reading glasses. He begins to shuffle through the documents more urgently, and angrily.

"That son of a bitch..." Marcus mutters it so quietly that I almost don't hear it.

"Marcus?" He snaps out of his anger and lightly laughs as he places the papers back into the tube.

"Thank you for bringing this to me...I fully understand the reason why Jericho believed this would be a problem if it got out."

"The mole, Marcus..." Marcus looks at me and places the tube in his desk. "There were multiple spies, sir. I only killed the one who was meeting with Gregor Mendell. I failed..." Marcus begins to smile.

"Go easy on yourself. Your mission was to get the information, remove Gregor Mendell and the person he was meeting. You've got those done, so a job well done." I bow my head. "Take tomorrow off to relax. I know how tiring a mission of high stakes can be." He begins to light a cigarette and dismisses me, so I exit his office. As I leave I lean against the door. Marcus said it was a job well done...but I just can't help but feel as if letting that Demacian girl go is going to come back and bite me in the ass...

**2 hours later, at the Demacian camp outside of Noxus**

I try my best to brush Valor's feathers without applying to much pressure against his injury. Emphasis on try... He screeches loudly, scaring me every time I even come near him with the brush.

"Valor, I know you don't like being cleaned, but come on! Be a man!" He looks at me and tilts his head. "What?" He aims his head to the opening of my tent, where I see someone's shadow standing there. I place Valor down and make my way over to see who is coming to visit me at this time. My hair is such a mess...and I look so unprepared to have visitors so I guess I'll just tell them to-

"Hello, Quinn." ... Jarvan? ... JARVAN!? A visit at night! I quickly shut the flap on him and begin to fix my hair as best as I can in a short amount of time. "Is this a bad time?"

"No! No! It's fine!" I straighten out my hair and take a deep breath. I slide the flap open and invite him inside. He then sits on the opposite side of Valor, who is staring at him as if he'll kill him if he makes one wrong move. I grab Valor, and move him to his bed and tell him to stay. Jarvan begins to chuckle when Valor squawks at me.

"You two are so close." My heart begins to thump against my chest as the Prince speaks.

"Ha...y-yeah..." Jarvan places his hand behind him to hold himself up as he leans back and looks up at the ceiling of the tent.

"Never did bond well with animals, except for maybe a few of the guard dogs around the Palace." He begins to lightly laugh as he reminisces over his youth. Then he looks to me, and time seems to freeze. "Sorry, I'm going off topic..."

"Oh no, it's fine! I do that sometimes as well!" I awkwardly laugh, as he genuinely laughs.

"Don't we all..." Jarvan smiles at me, and seemingly out of my control, my face goes completely red. "Well, the reason I'm here tonight is to ask you to do me a favor." I sit straight, and listen intently. "There have been rumors that the Grand General of Noxus, Boram Darkwill, has been assassinated. If it's true, Noxan High Command hasn't released the information to the rest of the continent." He looks to Valor, then back at me. "I know this is a tough thing for me to ask you to do, but I need you to go into Noxus and find out the truth behind the rumors. "

"I can do that as soon as Valor heals-" Jarvan interrupts.

"That's the thing...I need you to do it tomorrow." Valor and I look at him completely shocked. There's no way we could leave each other! Jarvan then grabs my hand and I fall silent as Valor begins to screech rampantly. "Quinn, you're the only person I can trust to do this. Don't do it for me, do it for Demacia- no, not even for Demacia! Do it for Valoran." He looks me in the eyes, and I seem to be pulled into his gaze like a magnet. I try to speak but all I can choke out is a very weak 'okay'. He smiles and stands up. "I knew I could count on you, Quinn. I'll give you the details tomorrow morning. Goodnight." All I respond with is another weak 'okay', and a wave goodbye. I stare at the opening of my tent for a few moments before Valor's loud squawking snaps me out of my haze. I begin to lightly laugh, and then turn to Valor.

"He trusts me for a mission..." I crawl over to Valor, who cocks his head in silent confusion. I begin to lightly rub his head. "He came to me...and said I was the only one he can trust..." I fall over on to my back and begin to roll around, embellishing the conversation that took place in my mind. Valor hops off his bed and nudges me to get my attention. He gives me a sad look, so I pick him up and hold him in my lap. "Don't worry, Val, you've helped me for so long, you deserve some rest." I lean down and kiss him on the beak. "Without you, I would have never even seen this part of the world...so please...do me a favor and just relax for tomorrow. I'll leave behind lots of honey roasted almonds for you to enjoy if that'll sweeten the deal?" Valor perks up and squawks happily at the mention of his favorite snack. I giggle and place him back in his bed. "Goodnight, Val. I'll see you by tomorrow night, I promise." Valor, stretches his uninjured wing out, then settles into the blanket on his bed. As for myself, I begin preparations to leave tomorrow morning. I failed my Prince once, I'll be damned if I do it again.

**The Next Morning, House of DuCouteau**

Like clockwork, my eyes open at 6:00 am. I roll out of bed and grab a fresh pair of clothes from my wardrobe. I open the door and look back into my room. I begin to think that my room is pretty empty...a beam of sunlight reflects off my blade and right into my eye. Maybe I should put my blade somewhere besides under my pillow... I then imagine how I'd like to decorate my room. I can see it now...blades...blades everywhere. I'd never have to worry about being caught without a weapon ever again! I smirk to myself and begin to head towards the bathroom, but bump into Cassie as she's exiting the shower. Her hair falls onto her shoulders in a wet bunch. The only thing protecting her modesty is a towel wrapped around her curvy figure.

"Morning, Cassie." I motion for her to move aside so I can get in, but instead she throws her arms around her body and deeply blushes.

"W-w-what the hell are you doing up so early?!" I raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm always up at this time. Today's Monday, right? You have school, correct?"

"Don't just talk to me so casually!" I step back in confusion. It clicks in my mind at that point what her problem is. I take my hand and cover my eyes.

"There. Now can you please move, I'm trying to get into the bathroom." I can't see it, but I can hear Cassie giggling to herself. I feel her soft hand grab onto mine as she removes it from covering my eyes.

"I should know better than to think you would try anything while I'm vulnerable, Talon."

"You seemed pretty uncomfortable by my presence. Sorry."

"It's alright, I was just caught off guard, that's all. You're a pretty stoic guy, aren't you?"

"Out of a lot of things people called me, stoic is a new one." She giggles.

"It means you never show your true feelings..." Cassie then gets close to me, causing my back to go against the wall. She then brushes up against me, and pushes her body onto my chest and leans in close to my face. "Tell me, Talon...what do you feel right now?" She slowly inches closer to my face. She stops quickly as the sound of someone choking hits both our ears. I find Kat coming around corner punching herself in the chest as she spits up water. Cassie gives out a frustrated groan and then looks to me. "Well, see you later, Talon!" She then storms off and 'accidentally' bumps into Kat. Kat looks in the direction Cassie ran off to and scowls that way. With the path clear to the bathroom, I attempt to step inside but I get stopped once again.

"You and my sister seem to be very friendly." I face Kat.

"Elaborate."

"Well...you never seem to fight it when she does things to you."

"Unless someone has the intent of harming me, I tend to not care what people do to me." Kat takes a sip of her water, and nods.

"Is that so?"

"Yes." I turn to the bathroom, but for a short moment, Kat embraces me with my back turned to her. She lets go and runs off quickly, all the while saying to herself, 'Why did I do that.'

Finally able to get into the bathroom, I walk in laughing to myself. These girls are actually pretty entertaining if you can get over the fact that they're annoying as all hell. One wants me in the ground, while one wants me in her. One is a skilled assassin, while one is a... Wait...what is Cassie? I know for a fact she was able to control my body the other day. Marcus's voice plays in my head...something he said when I asked him about Kat's magic.

"They get it from their mother..." Doesn't exactly answer my question, but it heavily implies an answer.

My mind snaps back to reality when I notice my fingers beginning to prune for staying in the shower for too long. I quickly dry off all the water, and finish my morning routine. I step out of the bathroom with my dirty clothes and towel, but a servant seemingly from out of nowhere, rushes over and snatches them from my hand. Not sure why, but whenever they do that shit it pisses me off. I sigh and step outside onto the front porch to get some air. I take a look at the sky and watch the clouds drift carelessly by as I wonder how to spend my day off. I close my eyes and remember my thoughts of how I'd like to decorate my room...blades...and lots of them. I step back inside and join Kat and Cassie at the breakfast table. Cassie points her head to the empty chair next to her, so I bow my head and sit. As soon as I sit down, servants quickly come rushing out of the kitchen with plates of various breakfast essentials. I thank them for the meal, but one of them tells me they don't need my thanks. Ungrateful bastards... I push that thought out of my mind as I dig into the food. In between my bites I begin to feel an invisible pressure against me. I look in front of me and see Kat staring down at her food with a bright red face. The pressure seems to disappear, so I go back to eating. Once again, it returns, so I look forward only to see Kat looking off to the side. Back to eating...pressure...look...Kat playing with her fork. And back to eating...pressure...look...Kat whistling. Alright...back to eating...god damn it; pressure. I'm not even going to look this time... I just continue to eat until Cassie speaks up.

"Jeez, Kat, just take a picture of Talon, it'll last longer." I look at Kat and lock eyes with her for a second before she runs off telling Cassie she's an idiot. Cassie begins to giggle and then looks to me. "Looks like I have another challenger..."

"Nobody's going to win me, Cassie." Cassie puffs her cheeks out and makes a pout face.

"Man you're boring! But you and I both know that isn't going to stop me."

"Unfortunately, I know that all too well." She grabs my arm and leans her head onto my shoulder. "Still, not sure what you're trying to pull, but I'm not someone's prize."

"You say that now." She laughs and squeezes harder on my arm. As her head rests on me, images of her glowing green eyes pop into my mind.

"By the way, Cassie, I've been meaning to ask you something." She keeps a solid hold on my arm, but looks up at me. "When you dragged me into your room...you were using some form of magic to keep me immobile, correct?" Cassie lets go of my arm, and begins to rub her legs nervously. "Can you and Kat use magic?"

"Umm...well... I've got to go! Kat and I will be late to school!" Cassie pushes her chair out and rushes upstairs. Not sure why, but I believe this is something I should refrain from talking about. I sigh once I realize I'm alone at the table. It then occurs to me that Marcus has never come down for breakfast this morning. I finish my meal and begin to walk towards Marcus's office. Outside his door I hear him speaking, but no one else sounds like they're in the room. I decide to wait a bit until it seems okay for me to walk in. I rest my back against the wall and close my eyes. With my sense of sight gone momentarily, I'm able to focus my hearing into Marcus's office. He does not sound happy.

"-because it's insane, Jericho! Yes...yes...yes, I understand that. What I'm saying is- No... No! Just hear me out! We're not in the condition to start another war! And using Professor Singed's weapons...that's not our way! Just- ...No... Jericho, I just... Yes..." Marcus lets out a long sigh. "I'll tell you what...I'll come down there, and we can discuss this further. Yes. Okay. I'll be there, don't make any rash decisions. Okay... Okay, see you soon." The sound of something clinking on Marcus's desk is followed by his footsteps. I back up and face the door waiting for the man to step outside. As Marcus steps out, he watches me with a confused look. "Talon? I thought I told you to take the day off?"

"I was going to go shopping, but I thought I'd just check in with you first." Marcus seems to relax as he smiles at me.

"Feels weird without anything to do I'm assuming?" I nod my head, so he laughs. "Tell you what, while you're out shopping, do me a huge favor and attempt to find some people you may know who might be interested in joining my Elite. Work is piling up now a days." There was a major emphasis on that last part.

"Oh come on, I said I was sorry."

"I didn't say you did anything...even though you did." He laughs, and I can't help but slightly smirk. Marcus pats me on the shoulder and begins to walk to the door. "I might be home late today, so tell that to Cassie and Kat." I nod my head as he waves me goodbye.

I begin to think about the task he gave me...people I might know? I close my eyes and brainstorm, but all I can think of is Riven... Wait, she'd actually be perfect! I'll ask her when she gets out of school, and I guess I could also give her an explanation of my lie to her. Kill two birds with one stone. I begin to feel something I haven't experienced in a while as I make my way out the door and to the carriage station. What is it...? Excitement, I believe? Am I excited about my day off? Possibly. But to be fair, if everything goes the way I planned it to go, my day off should be a very nice change of pace.

Then again, bad luck does tend to follow me everywhere I go.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter! I've been so insanely lazy, and it's a problem... Send help god damn it, I've stopped going to the gym, I sleep in till about 12-1:00ish, and just snack all day while binge watching ecchi anime/Workaholics/Sons of Anarchy. Needless to say, it's gotten pretty bad lmao. Well, tell me what you guys think so far, and I'll try to fight temptation to write more often. See ya at chapter 17.**


	17. Day Off - Part Two

As I step out of the carriage, I was overwhelmed by a sense of shock. I stand in awe for a few moments, taking in as much as I can of the Ivory Ward Marketplace in a short time. Rumors of this area being the wealthiest part of Noxus seem to no longer be rumors to me. As I'm looking, I notice that there are hardly any soldiers in the area. How strange, you'd think a place like this would be swarming with guards...now that I think about it, as I look closely, there seems to be no one attempting any crime of any sort. How odd...this would be a thief's paradise. Wealthy and unguarded idiots. A nostalgic feeling washes over my body as I look for guards in the area, but find none. The urge to steal. I shake my head as I think I'm better than that now... When the hell did I start thinking like that?! My mind begins to feel conflicted between a side of me wanting to steal, and a side of me wanting to abide the law.

'..and get you practically anything, including transportation, for free.'

How could I forget! I reach into my pocket and grab the card Marcus gave me. With this I can legally rob people! The conflict in my mind seems to be put at ease at the thought of my solution. Now...time to go 'shopping'. I begin my walk to a blacksmith I see down the street with a sly smile on my face.

**Elsewhere in the Ivory Ward**

Ok...so I made it into the city...now what do I do? If only Valor were here to put my mind at ease... No! You can do it by yourself, Quinn! Just got to believe! But...as I walk around aimlessly, the mission of finding out if the Grand General was assassinated or not seems easier said than done. The people seem to be too calm for a country that had their leader assassinated. Then again, Noxians are evil, sadistic people. They might not even give a care in the world about who lives or dies. I begin to shutter at the thought of currently being surrounded by said people. I just want to get out of here...but I can't fail Jarvan. Not again... I just have to bite the bullet and talk to...I swallow a lump in my throat...a Noxian. Where do I even begin to ask? I probably look so out of place cause of how nervous I am! Am I going to blow my cover?! What do I do-

"Hey there, missy!" A sudden voice startles me, so I look to my right and see a roundish man with an elegantly combed mustache, and a monocle on his right eye. He stands behind a booth displaying various jewelry; rings, necklaces, bracelets, et cetera. He motions his hand for me to walk over, so I oblige.

"Umm...yes?" He gives me a warm smile and reaches under the booth and pulls out a very beautiful silver necklace. At the end is a well-cut emerald, in a rectangular shape. He places it in front of me and slides it close.

"You seem lost, so this necklace straight from the Gem Knight himself should help you. Emerald for insight!" I slowly reach for it, but then pull my hand back out. "Go ahead!"

"Oh...I don't have money, it's a beautiful necklace though." He lightly laughs.

"I'm giving it to you, missy, it's not every day a pretty face like yours walks around these parts!" I lightly blush.

"I can't..."

"Go ahead, miss! Just tell your friends about my shop!" He grabs the necklace and places it in my hand. Once I grab it, he lightly pushes me off and waves goodbye. I begin walking and attempt to wrap my head around what just happened. That man was a Noxian... I look at the necklace in my hand, and then stuff it into my pocket. That man...was a Noxian? Maybe he was just a rare case...

"Good morning, miss! Care for a sample of a Noxian Spice Cookie?" I look to the woman on the right of me as she walks over to me. In her hand she carries a platter covered in cookies topped with cinnamon and sugar. As the smell hits me, I can't help but reach out and grab one off the plate. One bite couldn't hurt- Oh my lord. This cookie is so moist and warm, with a nice hint of the spicy yet sweet cinnamon. I seem to lose myself for a moment in the cookie until the woman speaks up again. "If you enjoyed that, come on down to Sinful Succulence, just on the corner of Woodlake Street and Ventura Avenue!" I look down the direction she's pointing and find the street sign labeled Woodlake, followed by an aroma of more baked goods. Well...it wouldn't hurt anyone if I just stopped in the shop for a little bit...right Jarvan?

**On the corner of Woodlake and Ventura**

I seem to be getting stares everywhere I go. It's understandable. I have two blades strapped around the back of my waist, and two blades strapped to my back. This card and a little lie seem to go hand in hand together. I begin to smirk as I remember the blacksmith's face as I browsed through his most expensive items, knowing I didn't have to pay for them. I've got to say, shopping was more relaxing than I expected it to be. I guess I didn't know what I needed until I got it...thanks Marcus, this was actually a pretty good idea. My mouth begins to water when the smell of sweet treats hits my senses. I find the source of the smell coming out of a shop on the corner of the road. Smells promising...guess I could spare some time to check it out. Before I'm able to walk in, a woman with a sampler platter blocks my way. She sticks out the plate and practically shoves a cookie into my face. Smells good though... and I'm not one to turn down free food, so I grab it and take a small bi- Holy shit. I then eat the whole cookie in one go as she just stands there smiling at me. She's making me feel uncomfortable, but I really do not care, just as long as she keeps these free cookies coming she can paint a picture of me in a raunchy pose for all I care. I reach for another but feel nothing. I look down and see that I devoured every sample on the plate.

"You must've really enjoyed them, sir!"

"... They were okay..." She just nods and smiles. "But, if one were to enjoy them...how much would it cost to buy every spice cookie from the shop?"

"Well, come into Sinful Succulence right here and find out." She steps by the door and holds it open for me. My body, seemingly on its own, began to shuffle into the shop. The very first thing I noticed once I stepped inside, was the woman behind the counter. Her demon like wings told me she was not human, even though her face and body resembled that of one. Her eyes were dark and menacing, yet at the same time, mysterious and beautiful. I walk straight to the display of many different sweets, and begin to window shop. I slowly walk along the display until I come across something that catches my eye. Apple...cobbler? I closely inspect it and notice the sliced apples barely sticking out of the breaded layer on top, covered in cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. Good god...I want this, NO! I NEED THIS!

"Having fun there, boy?" I stand up quickly and come face to face with the winged woman. She stares right into my eyes, and smiles. "You have quite some story there, Talon." I'm thrown off by how she knows my name, since this is the first time we've met. I open my mouth to speak, but I'm cut off. "I'm an angel. Well...not anymore. I just took a glimpse at your soul."

"Sounds scary."

"Not really, I normally just look to see what people would enjoy most from my shop, but I saw a lot more interesting things inside you..." Her suspicious smile makes me feel uneasy. "I'm Morgana. I don't normally take an interest in mortal affairs, but you are an exception. Stop by my shop sometime after hours, I have some information that might interest you."

"And that would be information on...?" Morgana smirks.

"Find out for yourself, Talon." She laughs. "Alright, now what do you want?" I then remember that I'm inside a bakery, so I point at the apple cobbler, and order a dozen of the Noxian Spice Cookies. I pay the small fee, and turn to leave but bump into a woman rushing inside the shop.

"S-s-sorry." She looks up and I almost drop my desserts. She seems to recognize who I am as well since she turns around and quickly takes off. I place my goods down on the counter of the shop and quickly chase after her. I'm not letting you get away a second time, spy! I shove my way past the people trying to stay behind her as much as possible, but she's surprisingly quick. I get annoyed having to run past people so I turn off into an alleyway. I spot a rain gutter attached to the side of the wall and begin to use it to reach the rooftops. I stop for a moment and spot the girl still running down the same street. Not a smart move on her part, but whatever. Makes this chase so much easier.

She suddenly cuts left into an alleyway with a dead end. I hear shuffling but I have no idea what the hell she's doing. I grab the two swords from my back, and slowly step to the edge. I look over and spot her curled up, holding onto her knees. The faint sound of sniffling tells me she is currently crying.

"There's no point in being a spy if you're going to cry when you're caught." I jump down and land on the opposite side of the alleyway, blocking her exit. All the color from her face fades away. She looks as if she's about to vomit.

"I-I-I'm not a s-spy!" I raise an eye in confusion.

"Then tell me, what are you doing here? And also tell me why you were retrieving stolen information?" I place one of my swords on the ground and lean on it like a cane. "If those actions don't count you as a spy, then I don't know what does." The girl looks to the ground and mumbles something. "Was that an answer?"

"I said I can't...I can't tell you what I'm doing here..." The girl seemed to admit defeat finally. She definitely was performing espionage. I raise my swords and slowly walk over to her, but she begins to move around in a panic. "Please! My orders have no intention of harming Noxus! We just want to know if Boram Darkwill was really assassinated or not!" I quickly stop. Did the High Command already release that information?

"Where did you hear that?"

"Is it true?"

"Answer me first, where did you hear that?"

"They were just rumors...I was told to confirm if they're true or not." Just rumors... That's a pretty big rumor...but who would spread such a thing? Better yet, who knows the truth and would spread it around? I put my swords away, and the girl seems to slightly relax until I walk over to her, and bend over to meet her face to face.

"Change of plans. You're coming with me." I reach for the girl's arm, but she begins to struggle. "It's either you come with me and answer a few questions, or you die right here." She stops. I lift her upwards and stand her on her own two feet. "Just follow me, and don't even think about running." She quietly nods and slowly follows me out of the alleyway. I begin to walk to a nearby carriage station, every now and then looking back to make sure the girl hasn't decided to run off. Once we reach the station, I order a one way trip back to the DuCouteau residence. I flash the card and the driver nods his head. I hold the door open for the girl to get in, and seemingly out of habit, the girls says thanks, but quickly shuts her mouth after. She sits on one side of the carriage while I sit on the other. As soon as we feel motion, we both begin to silently stare at each other. This is when I'm able to get a good look at her. She's around my age, maybe younger, her eyes are a golden brown; normal for Demacians, and her hair is a surprisingly darker reddish brown, more so than Katarina's hair. She seems to do the same, inspecting me up and down silently. She opens her mouth to say something, but stops herself and looks out the window. I decide that maybe I could get a little bit more information out of her before I bring her to Marcus. I ponder for a few moments before I ask my first question.

"Name?" She looks away from the window and at me. She looks a little confused, so I restate my question. "What's your name?"

... "Quinn."

"Where are you from?" She seems to respond to this question quicker, and more proud.

"Demacia."

"And what's your job in Demacia?" She was almost as quick to respond, but she falters for a moment.

"I...I'm a scout."

"Who do you work for?" ... Maybe she didn't hear me. "Who do you work for?" ... Okay, she's not going to answer this one. "Loyalty is a good trait, but your loyalties mean nothing to me. I'd suggest answering my question."

"I can't."

"Can't, or won't?"

"Both." Hmm, well played, girl. I can understand where she's coming from. I'd never give up incriminating information on Marcus, so I doubt she'd do it to her boss.

"You don't have to answer me, but I strongly recommend answering the General's questions. He can get pretty annoying if you don't."

"Who's the General?" I smirk as the carriage comes to a stop.

"Follow me and find out for yourself."


	18. New Friends

"I'm not sure why you're being slow to get out of the carriage. I already gave you your options, Quinn." She sighs, and steps out of the carriage. I motion for her to follow me down the walkway and into the house. "Alright, the General's office is just up the stairs, so please follow-"

"TALON!" Quinn and I both look at Cassie who is angrily rushing over to me. She comes up to me and grabs my shirt collar, then pulls me down to her height. "Who the hell is this?! I've already got to compete with my sister and Riven! What the hell is it with you?! Are you just a magnet to other girls?!"

"Cassie." She continues her rant. "Cassie, please!" Still going strong. "God damn it, I don't have time for this!" I grab Quinn's hand which causes Cassie to continue fuming. Why the hell does their school let them come home for their lunch break...

"Don't think you finding a girlfriend will make me give up, Talon!" Quinn's hand jerks a little, but I still hold onto it and lead her into the hallway. When we're out of sight of Cassie, she removes her hand from my grip.

"That girl..." Quinn looks at her hand and rubs it. "Thought we were a couple?"

"Ignore her. She has some...issues." Well that's the shortened version of it. "Anyways, the General's office is right down the hall here, so just follow me." We reach the door to Marcus's study. I knock a few times and get called in. I step inside, slowly followed by Quinn. Marcus is doing paperwork while enjoying a hot cup of tea. He takes a small sip of tea as to hide the fact he is inspecting Quinn. He places the cup down and stands up and walks over to Quinn. She slowly backs up to the door but I shut it. The fear in her eyes is evident as Marcus gets closer. She lightly begins to shake as Marcus stares at her. He then looks at me and smiles.

"Is this your girlfriend, Talon?"

"What the hell is it with you people and relationships!"

"Don't be so shy, she's a cutie!" He looks at Quinn one more time who looks very confused. He pinches his chin and nods. "Very beautiful indeed." Marcus reaches out his hand, so Quinn jumps a little, but Marcus keeps reaching and grabs onto her hand and shakes it. "Nice to meet you, miss, the name's Marcus DuCouteau!" Quinn's jaw falls slightly ajar.

"DuCouteau? As in General DuCouteau?" Quinn looks to me, as I nod letting her know she's correct.

"So you've heard of me?"

"Prince Jarvan said you were the one Noxian he resp-" Quinn takes her hand and quickly covers her mouth. Marcus looks a little surprised.

"Jarvan? As in Jarvan Lightshield?" He looks to me, so I respond.

"This is the spy that I told you got away. I found her in the Ivory Ward Marketplace; she said she was here to find out about Boram Darkwill's assassination." Marcus nods his head and goes to his chair and sits.

"I see...I see." He leans back and rubs his temples. "Must have been Gregor Mendell...he's the only Noxian High Command official to have ties with Demacia as of late." He grabs his tea and takes another small sip. He then looks to Quinn. "Tell me, miss, what's your name?"

"Quinn...sir."

"And you mentioned something about Jarvan? So I'm assuming him and his group are somewhere close to Noxus?" Quinn is silent. "Don't be afraid, I have no quarrels with Demacians. In fact...I'd like to speak to Jarvan about some recent events."

"W-what?"

"It's just as I said it, Miss Quinn. I'd like to speak to Jarvan." Quinn looks to back and forth between Marcus and I.

"But...h-he's in Demacia right now." Marcus lightly laughs.

"You don't have to lie to me. Knowing the Prince, he is most likely camped outside of Noxus with his buddies." Marcus smiles as Quinn looks on in amazement. Marcus stands up and walks over to a map of Noxus pasted onto the wall. "You can lead me to him right now, or you can tell me his location, where I can send people who will not be as friendly as myself." Marcus is currently in General mode. This version of Marcus is one I hardly see, and it's pretty terrifying. Quinn shudders a bit.

"Okay...I'll lead you to him..." She looks up. "You're only going to talk to him, right?" Marcus nods, and means it. He walks to the door and holds it open.

"Talon, come with us. Quinn," he holds an arm out, "lead the way." She's reluctant at first, but knows that she has no other option but to trust Marcus if she wants to complete her mission. As we step into Marcus's personal carriage, Quinn tells the driver to head to the Sleeping Lion inn. When we get there, she leads us into the forest. Marcus holds a smile on his face the whole time, while I feel a bit uneasy. It just feels too sketchy to walk right into an area occupied by people who were raised to believe Noxians are sub-human scum. As Quinn gets further and further ahead, Marcus grabs me by the shoulder and begins to give me orders.

"Tell Quinn to call off the people following us, or else things are going to go very wrong for them very quick." I nod and run up to Quinn.

"Quinn." She looks back at me with a face as if she's hiding something.

"Yes?" Trying to play innocent, eh?

"Call off those people following us right now." She looks a little shocked.

"W-what are you talking about? The camp is only another mile or two away, there's no way the scouts would be way out here!"

"I said call them off, or else." Quinn looks away in fear, and then shouts into the forest.

"Tell Prince Jarvan there are two Noxians who'd like to speak with him!" The sound of rustling leaves hits my ears, but as quick as it happened, there was silence. Quinn looks back at me. "P-please forgive me...the guards must have saw two unfamiliar faces with me and began to follow us...I-I didn't mean-"

"It's quite alright, just keep showing us the way to the camp." Marcus interrupts her sorry attempt of an apology. She nods and continues walking, but with a faster pace. Soon we notice a clearing in the forest, and multiple tents. People begin filing out of the tents with a hold on their weapons. Quinn bolts for the camp, while Marcus and I stop. As Marcus lights a cigarette, I pull the swords off my back and into my hands. The Demacians are at first walking with caution, but then they break out into a full on sprint. I was about to charge as well and meet them halfway until Marcus told me to just parry and dodge. I didn't want to do that, but it was Marcus's order so I followed. I handed him the sword in my left hand just as the Demacians reached us. They all began to swing wildly at Marcus and I, but we easily were able to evade most attacks. I soon began to enjoy myself as I noticed the anger and frustration on their faces. The fun was sadly broken up though.

"What in the hell are you idiots doing?" The Demacians stop in their place and back off of Marcus and I. A man in brilliant golden armor walks over to the troops, who immediately drop to their knees in a bow. "First off, who gave you the order to attack, second, how did twenty of you lose to two, third, these two men are our guests!" The men seemingly look up in shock. I stare at them blankly as Marcus waves to them. The man scolding the troops then turns his attention to us. "My deepest apologies, General DuCouteau." The man bows his head, but Marcus begins to laugh.

"Please don't bow to me, Prince Jarvan. And please, call me Marcus." Marcus holds his hand out to the man revealed to be Prince Jarvan. He smiles and grabs onto it for a firm handshake. He then looks to me. Marcus puts one arm around my shoulder. "This boy right here is my apprentice, Talon. He's the one who singlehandedly stopped your attempt to get information against us." I look at Marcus as to why he would word it like that, and then look to Prince Jarvan. He raises one eye as to inspect me, but then he smiles. He reaches a hand out towards me, so I meet him halfway and grasp onto it. He shakes it roughly then seemingly tosses it aside. Guess he might not like me as much as Marcus. Whatever, I'm not here for him to like me.

"So, General-"

"Marcus."

"Okay, so, Marcus...what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Well, Prince-"

"If I have to call you Marcus, then just call me Jarvan." Marcus smiles and nods.

"Well, Jarvan, the Noxus I've come to know and love is falling. It's true, Boram Darkwill was murdered by the Black Rose." Jarvan furrows his brow, and bites on the tip of his thumb. "I may be seen as a traitor, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure Noxus doesn't become a country run by fools and cowards. Currently the Noxian High Command is split due to everyone scrambling for the Grand General position, and the way things are going, Jericho Swain will take that position." Jarvan grunts in frustration.

"Of all the people...it has to be Jericho..." He grabs onto his hair and turns his back to Marcus. "Why does it have to be Jericho closest to taking that position!" Jarvan then goes down onto his knees in anger.

"I understand how you feel. Jericho used to be a friend, but since the day of Boram's death, he has changed. That's why I'm coming to you for help. I need Demacia on my side to prevent Jericho from becoming the Grand General." Jarvan stands up and faces Marcus.

"You want our assistance so _you _can become Grand General I'm assuming? I'll admit, you are a much better choice than Jericho." Marcus lightly chuckles.

"Me? I'm a soldier, and a killer. I don't have the wits to rule over an entire country. A unit like my elite I can handle, but not an entire country. Currently, I'd need your assistance to make Keiran Darkwill a seemingly good opponent against Jericho politically. Boram's boy is strong, but can be kind of an idiot and easy to take advantage of, but I believe with some polish he could help stop Noxus from starting another unnecessary war." Marcus then reaches into his pocket and unfolds a few pieces of paper. "I'd also like to talk about these." Marcus hands them to Jarvan. Jarvan quickly shuffles through them, looking back and forth between Marcus and the papers in shock.

"Come with me to my tent. Let's talk in private." Jarvan motions for Marcus to follow. And when Marcus starts to move, I do as well, but he holds his arm out to stop me.

"Stay here, Talon. Don't cause any trouble."

"Oh come on, when do I _ever _cause trouble." I say it so sarcastically it makes Marcus chuckle. He then follows Jarvan into the largest tent in the center of the camp leaving me surrounded by a large group of unfriendly faces. I then hear a small, hoarse laugh.

"Looks like your daddy's gone, Noxian." Multiple burly men seem to file out of nowhere and stand beside the man calling me out. "Everyone has to earn their spot in this camp...but I don't think you have yet, so if you'd be so kind to oblige our rules and meet us in the sparring ring." The man then points out a small dirt circle just outside of the camp. I smirk to myself.

"Sure thing. I wouldn't want to be so rude as to ruin your traditions." The man begins to laugh and motions for me to follow him to the ring. Sorry, Marcus, but trouble just seems to find me.

As we get to the ring, the man steps inside and tells me to stand on the opposite side of him. I remove the swords off my body and place them just outside of the ring within arm's reach just in case. I face the man who challenged me and notice a crowd has formed around the circle. All their cheers are directed towards my opponent, who is named Frederick. I only receive jeers mocking my so called foolishness for thinking I could take on a Demacian soldier. I think to myself maybe I'll make this more entertaining for me. Not only am I going to beat him physically, I'm going to crush his ego.

"Alright, Noxian, the rules are simple, no weapons, no hits to the groin, and stop when your opponent calls for a stop...but I might get carried away. Understand?" I nod my head, so he immediately charges at me. He attempts to wrap his arms around me in a tackle, but I grab onto his shoulder as he reaches me and throw him over my head and onto the dirt behind me. The cheers from around the circle immediately stop. The man looks at me surprised but gets back up onto his feet and charges at me again. As he gets to me, he begins to throw a flurry of punches, but I'm able to evade them all easily. The Demacians from around the ring begin to laugh and taunt Frederick.

"Come on Freddy, it's just a Noxian!"

"Oh come on, you can put your clothes on in the morning but can't hit a Noxian!"

"This is painful to watch, but not as painful as losing to a Noxian!"

Okay, so maybe those taunts are still sort of directed at me. Guess I'll end this. I evade a punch and step to the side. I grab Frederick's arm with my right hand, then use my left to hit his elbow upwards. A gross snap silences everyone, until Frederick begins to scream in pain. He drops to the floor and starts yelling for a medic and cursing me. I stand over him and watch in sick satisfaction as he struggles to keep his arm steady. I look around me and notice all the Demacians just standing around staring at me with horrified expressions.

"Anyone else care for a match? You all seemed _so _confident before the fight." No one dares step forward, so I make my way to my swords.

"I'll take that challenge." I hear some men gasp behind me, so I turn and look. Needless to say, I was not expecting what I saw. A woman with light purple skin and fire red hair pushes past all the Demacian soldiers. She walks right up to Frederick who's rolling around on the floor in agony. "You two." She points to the closest soldiers around Frederick. "Get this weakling to the infirmary. NOW!" The men jump in fear and quickly drag Frederick out of the ring. The woman then turns to me. "I assume he was no challenge to a member of DuCoutea's elite?" I nod a yes. "I assure you, I am nothing like these other fools. None have beat me, and only my Prince has matched my strength. So, feel free to call off your challenge." The woman crosses her arms across her chest with a smug look. I then nod my head for no which causes her to grunt in annoyance. "So, you challenge me, Shyvana, half-dragon, to a duel?" Half-dragon?

"I've never fought a dragon before." Shyvana smirks and steps into the ring.

"Then let this be a fight you'll never forget, boy."


	19. The Next Big Mission

I run as quickly as I could back into the comfort of my tent. I'm greeted with a fully healed Valor to my face. I pull him into my arms and begin to pet his feathers as he cries in joy. I can't help but laugh as I think that I somehow turned one of the fiercest birds in the world, into this little crybaby who can't leave my side. But you know, I feel the exact same way. I'm not sure what I would do without Valor, so I decide to let one tear fall. It rolls off my face and onto Valor's beak. He feels it and lightly cuddles my cheek.

"I missed you too, Val. I promise, even if it's for Jarvan, I won't leave your side anymore." Valor squawks happily, and then slowly turns his head to a bag poking from under his mat. I put him down and pull the bag out, revealing it to be a bag of honey roasted almonds. I give him a little nudge on the side. "You dork." I laugh to myself and begin to open the bag. Valor grabs an empty bowl and drops it in front of me. I hold the bag over the bowl and pour the almonds into it for him. He then gives me what looks like a smile on his beak and begins to eat greedily. I sit on my sleeping bag and begin to remove my boots from my feet when Valor squawks at me. "What's that, Val?" He squawks again. "What was Noxus like? Well...I'd be lying if I said it wasn't as bad as I thought..." I reach into my pocket and take out the brilliant emerald necklace the jeweler gave me. I then place it around my neck and tuck it into my shirt. Valor then squawks one more time. "No, I wasn't hurt. But..." He looks up at me concerned. "Well...I kind of got caught by that guy who hurt your wing." Valor is completely ignoring his bowl of almonds as he pays attention to my story. "I honestly thought I was done for...but he surprisingly kept me alive. And then he took me to meet his boss, who was kind of scary but really nice." Valor squawks a few times. "No, they didn't do anything to me..." I lean in closely to Valor who turns his head so I can lean close to his ear. "And between you and me...that guy was pretty cute." Valor screeches in surprise. "Shh, shh, shh!" I place my finger to my mouth to keep him from getting loud. "Oh come on, I may be a scout for Demacia, but I'm also a girl!" Valor seems to sigh. "You don't understand, Val. Under that killer shell of his, there's got to be a side of him I haven't seen. Cause when he took me to his boss's house, these girls thought we were a couple and were getting really jealous!" Wait a minute, why am I talking about him as if I'll see him again? I just abandoned him and the General to be captured by the others! I can't keep letting my emotions get in the way of my work...damn puberty! I lay down on my sleeping bag in thought as Valor goes back to his almonds. Was it really okay for me to just betray them like that? ... Of course it was! What am I thinking? They're enemies! ... But I do feel guilty about deceiving them like that...maybe I'll take a walk and get some air. I sit back up and strap my boots on. I tell Valor I'm going to go out for a bit, so I get up and exit out of my tent.

As I step out of the tent, a very loud cracking sound hits my ears, followed by screaming. I look over and notice a crowd surrounding the sparring ring. I begin to walk when I hear a familiar calm, yet menacing voice. It couldn't possibly be him... I push through the crowd and see Corporal Frederick on the floor holding onto his disfigured arm as he rolls around in agony, cursing a man with obsidian black hair, and equally dark clothing walking over to a pair of swords lying on the ground. When suddenly, Shyvana steps into the ring. The man turns around, and to my surprise turns out to be Talon.

"I've never fought a dragon before."

"Then let this be a fight you'll never forget, boy."

**Inside the sparring ring**

"I assume you already know the rules, boy?" I nod a yes. "Good. I'll let you start." I smirk and Shyvana and I lock eyes as we begin to circle around the ring. I decide to test this woman's skill, so I lunge at her and throw a few small punches and back out. She easily matched them, but I was able to get a feel of her true strength she was holding back. I think to myself that there's no point in holding back for this fight since I can feel how powerful she truly is. As I'm thinking, a circle of flames forms around Shyvana, and she rushes me with great speed. She brings her arms out wide and attempts to clamp them together, but I jump backwards, avoiding a seemingly devastating blow. Had that hit me, I would have been done for. She then begins to throw a quick succession of punches and kicks. I can do nothing but parry or evade them, and once I feel her stop, I return with my own flurry of attacks. Shyvana does the same as I did and parries or evades them. We both simultaneously jump back and catch our breath. As we're panting, we lock eyes once more and grin at the same time.

"You're not half bad, human. What do they call you?"

"Talon. And you're a pretty good fighter yourself." Shyvana chuckles softly as if to save her breath.

"I've earned respect among humans and dragons alike through combat." She then stretches out her arm and cracks her neck. "Shall we continue?" I nod yes.

"I went first last time, so you take the lead." Shyvana smiles and then charges at me with renewed vigor. Blow for blow, we seem to be at a stalemate for what feels like hours but is only seconds. I then catch both her fists before she could clamp down on me, and we roughly hold hands in a tug of war to break loose. I feel a sudden rush of adrenaline and sweep her feet from beneath her. Shyvana makes a surprised gasp as she loses her balance and falls over. However, she held onto my hands as she fell and used the momentum to toss me over her head like a ragdoll. I lay on the ground for a few moments, catching my breath when I notice Shyvana stand up and unleash her claws. She stands there inhaling and exhaling slowly, trying to get her breathing right.

"It's been a while since I've had to get serious." The look on her face tells me that she seems to be...enjoying herself? I then think to myself, I'm having some fun, too. Shyvana jumps upwards in pounce, but I'm still lying on the ground, so I roll to the right. Her claws easily pierce into the dirt and get stuck. I use this opportunity to send a kick to her face, but she uses her open hand to catch my leg. She then brings me up and then slams me back down as she frees her hand from the dirt. She's now towering over me, and she brings her claws out wide to clamp down on me, but I lunge forward at her chest and tackle her to the ground, interrupting her attack. She pushes me off of her, and we're once again standing on opposite sides of the ring, facing one another. Shyvana brings her fists together and pushes outwards, and to my surprise and everyone's fear, a small bolt of fire shoots directly at me. I evade to the right and look at her like what the fuck.

"Magic's not against the rules." Damn loopholes. Shyvana and I are about to charge at one another when someone begins to yell.

"Quick! Get the water! Prince Jarvan's tent is on fire!" Shyvana immediately stops, and we both face the direction of the flames. Jarvan and Marcus step out of the burning tent quickly. Marcus uses the flames to light his cigarette as Jarvan demands to know who started the fire. The fire gets put out and all the men are silent. Shyvana exits the ring and runs right to him and drops to her knees in a bow.

"My Prince! I got carried away in a duel with the Noxian boy and used my magic! Please, forgive me, and if you don't I would understand!" Jarvan looks at Shyvana, then at me.

"You used your magic? I haven't seen you use your magic since we first met!" Shyvana then brings her head up in shock. She looks at her hands and the burnt tent.

"I didn't have the need for my magic since the times we were fighting dragons..." She stands up and walks up to me. "Who are you, Talon? There's no possible way a human could have made me find it necessary to use my flames!" A short smoker's cough catches everyone's attention. Marcus then speaks up.

"Talon is special. That's why I was telling you he could be of use to Demacia while I attempt to fix things here." Jarvan begins to rub his chin in thought.

"Shyvana, did Talon really cause you difficulty in your spar?" Shyvana nods her head.

"We were at a stalemate for a majority of the bout." Jarvan walks to me and stares into my eyes. He stares so roughly it makes me feel very uncomfortable. Then he nods and turns his head to Marcus as he places his hand on my shoulder.

"Where'd you find him at, Marcus?" He says it while laughing.

"Believe it or not, he was just a thief my elite were supposed to kill. Needless to say, they were no match for him." Jarvan grins and then faces me with his hand still on my shoulder.

"Marcus and I were talking, Talon. He said you could help out with Demacia's growing gang problems." I look to Marcus, and then back at Jarvan.

"That's not my choice. I work for Marcus." Jarvan laughs and wraps his arm around my neck and brings me close to him.

"This boy has loyalty! I love it! So, how about it Marcus? Do you give Talon permission to help me out?" Marcus takes one last puff of his cigarette and throws it on the floor. He then lightly stomps out the last blazing embers.

"Talon, think of it as a mission. Wipe out Demacia's gangs, then return once you're finished."

"But Marcus-" He interrupts me.

"Don't worry, come home and get your things in order." Jarvan releases me as Marcus walks over to me and leans in close enough for his words to only be heard by me. "General Swain knows you were involved in the murder of Boram Darkwill. I can't have him using you against me as I try to fix Noxus, understand?" And so the truth is revealed to me. I nod silently and reluctantly accept the mission. Marcus pats me on the shoulder and tells Jarvan that it's time to take our leave. As we exit the forest, I feel someone staring at the back of my head, so I turn and find that Quinn girl watching as I leave. She then spots me looking at her so she walks away.

**Back at the DuCouteau House**

I sit in my room with a bag Marcus gave to me. He told me to fill it with clothes and anything else I wished to bring along with me. I only packed the necessities, clothes and blades. I hear a knock at the door, so I tell whoever it is to come inside. Surprisingly it's Kat and Riven together.

"Riven said she wanted to talk to you before you left." Before Kat shuts the door she pokes her head back inside. "You should probably make it quick, Riven. I can hold off Cassie for only so long." Riven thanks her and then turns her focus to me. I stay sitting on the floor making sure everything can fit inside my bag nicely, so Riven sits next to me.

"Hey." That's all she says to me, so I respond the only way I could.

"Hey." Riven smiles and lays her head on my shoulder. "I've been meaning to go over and apologize. I'm not sure what I said wrong but you looked hurt."

"It was nothing. I just keep forgetting that you live with two other beautiful girls who adore you. I knew what you said was a lie to Master Aella, and I hate the idea of having to compete for your affection." I chuckle.

"Do you really think I show affection that often that you have to compete for it?" Riven lifts her head off my shoulder.

"In your own way, yes I do believe so." I cock my head in confusion.

"Really now? How so?"

"Well, you're very honest so you can always say the right things without even knowing it. Plus...you're just..." She seems to stop for a moment.

"I'm just...?" She catches me by surprise with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You're you. Do I need any other reason?" I grin like an idiot to myself. I don't know why, but whenever I'm around Riven, Kat, or Cassie, they just seem to make feel at ease. Riven then scoots closely to me and leans in for a kiss. I don't seem to be trying to stop her, but the rampant footsteps and yelling do. The door bursts open and I spot Cassie seething with anger and Kat being dragged as she tries to stop her.

"Cassie, stop! Let Riven have her time with Talon!"

"NO ONE'S GOING TO STOP ME KAT!" Cassie seems to twist very quickly and throws Kat off to the side and then rushes to me. She grabs me with super human like strength and holds my head down into her chest. I can hardly breathe or speak as Cassie begins to stroke my hair. I'm gasping for breath and struggling to break free. "Hush, Talon. I won't let this evil seductress taint you with her kiss!" She glares at Riven. All Riven does is giggle.

"I'm going to miss this." Riven stands up.

"Miss what, seductress? Miss being a home wrecker!"

"No...I spend most of my time training. The only fun I can say I have is competing with you for Talon's attention." Cassie laughs.

"You're hardly competition!" Riven puts her hand to her mouth.

"Oh? Then why am I the only one to kiss him multiple times?" Cassie seems to be fuming. Her grip around my neck begins to choke me, but then she grabs me and pushes me to her face. She leans close and tries to kiss me, but stops. Her face begins to turn red, and her body begins to shake. She then drops me to floor leaving me gasping for air. She runs out the door yelling at us.

"I hate you Talon!"

"What the fuck...did I do?!" I cough as I try to speak. Riven slowly walks out the door, but turns and waves goodbye to me.

"Make sure to comeback, Talon." I nod a yes, so Riven leaves. I stand up to close the door but spot Kat sitting quietly on the floor.

"Can I help you, Kat?" She smiles and looks at me silently. I seem to be trapped in her gaze, so I just stare back and sit across from her.

"Riven has the right idea. Make sure to comeback, cause we still have training to do."

"I promise. I'll finish my mission as quickly as possible and comeback and kick your ass again." Kat stands up with her competitive look.

"When you comeback, I'll be so much stronger than you could ever imagine!" I match her fiery stare, and stand up as well.

"We'll see." Kat waves goodbye and walks out the door. I shut the door as she leaves and head back to my bag. I look at my bed as a glare hits me in the eye so I smile to myself. I lift my pillow and grab my arm blade. I place it on top of all my clothes in the bag then zip it up. I yawn, so I decide to head bed for the night. Someone is coming to pick me up in the morning and then I'm off to Demacia for who knows how long. As I lay in my bed, I begin to think to myself as I nod off to sleep. I begin to remember the final nights I spent in the slums...I've finally found a better place than the Noxus I knew.

**Elsewhere in Noxus**

"Morgana, what did you see in the boy?" The Deceiver props her elbows on her desk to hold her face up. Morgana sits in the chair across from her, and smiles to herself.

"The Black Rose will fall." LeBlanc stands up furiously.

"Talon will bring us down?!" Morgana lightly laughs.

"You don't seem to give him enough credit. The boy is powerful. Much more powerful than he knows himself." A maniacal chuckle from the corner of the room catches Morgana's attention.

"Did I train him too well?" Morgana scoffs.

"Please. It's all thanks to his parents." This seems to catch the Deceiver's attention.

"Oh, and who would they be?" Morgana taps her temple.

"If I told you now it would spoil all the fun." LeBlanc sighs in frustration.

"Gods just love to toy with humans, don't they?" LeBlanc places her head down into her arms. She then quickly shoots back up, and begins to laugh. "No matter. Talon is leaving for Demacia, leaving Marcus wide open. What's your opinion on that, Jericho?" Seemingly out of the darkness, a demon like bird steps into the light.

"We must wait. As much as it pains me to keep that traitor Marcus alive, we must wait."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Our first order of business is getting the Noxian High Command to favor my leadership. Currently, Marcus plans to use Keiran to prevent my plans for a new Noxus." Jericho angrily pounds his cane on the ground. "He's also sending away the one key piece of evidence we had to show his involvement in the murder of Boram to Demacia!" His words begin to go deeper and deeper with a more demonic after tone. "Why does it always seem like he's two steps ahead of me? I'm the greatest tactician Noxus has ever seen! So why does a mere soldier seem to outsmart me!" LeBlanc begins to hush Jericho.

"Relax. We have the upper hand now." Jericho still seems to be angry but calms his voice.

"I agree. And that's why I won't tolerate failure at this point, do you understand me Emilia?" LeBlanc nods her head. Jericho turns his back to everyone in the room and seems to disappear in the darkness. Shaco begins to cackle.

"And people say I'm scary." A bright green ball of magic seemingly flies out of nowhere and hits Shaco in the face leaving him on the ground in pain. "Ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" His cries go unheard to Jericho.


	20. Departure

Small knocks on my door click into my unconscious mind, so I lazily sit up on my bed and stretch my body out. I find the clock sitting on my wall and see that it is 5:30 in the morning. I rub my eyes as I make my way to the door and open it to find Marcus.

"Morning, Talon."

"Hey." I yawn and stretch my arms above my head as Marcus makes his way into my room.

"Is everything ready for your departure? Jarvan told me he would be sending someone to pick you up early in the morning." I groggily nod my head and make my way to my dresser.

"All I have left to do is my morning routine." Marcus chuckles.

"That's good, that's good." He then sits on my bed and begins to tap his fingers on his lap. "Would you like some warnings about Demacia?" I hold my clothes in my arms and tell him yes. "Well, Demacians are probably not going to be too happy about a Noxian helping them out. Or helping their Prince out to be more specific. Just make sure not to do anything that would spark a feud between our nations."

"That's a pretty big burden you've left me with." Marcus nods.

"Yes, I know. What may seem like a small problem to you, is major to Demacians. Their sense of justice has become a bit..." he bobs his head from side to side, "obscured over the years. To put it simply, at least." Marcus stands up and walks to the door. "I'll leave you to it then. I'll be downstairs when you're finished up here." With that, Marcus makes his way down the hall and into the living room. So I head across the hall into the bathroom and do the same thing I've been doing since I've got here. Brush my teeth, shower, and shave off any signs of growing facial hair. Once I deem myself groomed well enough, I step out of the bathroom and grab my bag from my room. I walk to the living room and surprisingly, not only do I find Marcus, but Lady Aella, Riven, Kat, and Cassie. Marcus stands up and motions his hand to an open seat next to him.

"They all just wanted to see you before you left." I take a seat in the spot next to Marcus and instantly feel the stares of everyone in the room. I want to say something, but Lady Aella speaks before me.

"Listen kid, you better comeback and make sure not to break my Riven's heart. Got it?" Riven lowers her head in embarrassment while Cassie lightly laughs.

"I'm sure you're mistaken Lady Aella! Talon is going to comeback for me and only me!" Kat nudges on her shoulder and whispers to her.

"Cassie, don't talk to her like that!" Lady Aella puts her hands on her cheeks and begins to move her body around.

"How adorable! A quarrel of love!" Lady Aella then turns to me. "So, who's winning your love so far Talon?" Then she scoffs. "Forget that, of course it's my beautiful little Riven here." Riven tries to speak, but Lady Aella repeatedly interrupts her.

'Master!' "Marcus when can we start planning a wedding?" 'Master!' "I know a great bakery in the Ivory Ward District!" 'Master, please!' "So check the wedding cake off the list...now for entertainment and who to invite-" Riven quickly jabs her hand into Lady Aella's neck, causing her to fall unconscious.

"I'm sorry. She's a sucker for love." Riven stands up and drags Lady Aella by her collar. "We'll be taking our leave now. Till we meet again, Talon." I silently bow my head as Riven waves. As Riven opens the door, she nearly runs into a girl pacing back and forth on the front porch. The girl jumps out of fright and begins to rapidly apologize. Marcus begins to laugh.

"Quinn, you can come inside." Riven stares the girl down as Quinn quickly rushes inside. "Here to pick Talon up I'm assuming?"

"Y-yeah." As Quinn stands by the door, fidgeting like a mad man. I begin to think that the girl is just a nervous wreck. Are all Demacians like this?

"Please Quinn, come sit down. We're having some tea and cookies before Talon's departure." Marcus stands up and grabs Quinn lightly by the hand and sits her down in an open seat. Kat is indifferent to her, while Cassie stares her down. Cassie then stands up and walks over to me and tells me to make room on the couch I'm sitting on, so I do. She then leans over to me and whispers into my ear.

"What's up with her?" I shrug my shoulders and grab a cookie off the coffee table in the center of the living room. I take a small bite of the plain cookie used for dunking in tea. I then lean over to reply to Cassie.

"Believe me, this girl is seemingly nervous all the time." Cassie puffs her cheeks out.

"And how would you know how she is all the time?"

"Why do you have to turn everything I say into something for you to be upset about?" Cassie wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me.

"It's what lovers do!"

"Okay, I understand where you're coming from, but first, we're not lovers, second, who told you something ridiculous like that?"

"I read it in yesterday's edition of 'Teen Girls Weekly'!" Cassie sits up and reaches for something folded in her back pocket. She unfolds it and hands it to me. "It's an article on signs you have a strong relationship!" I begin to read it, and sure enough, sign number 3, 'you're defensive over girls your man talks to'. I stand up and roll the article into a ball and walk over to the fireplace and toss it in. "Hey, why'd you do that! We didn't even get to see if we used all the steps!"

"Do me a favor while I'm gone; stop reading that magazine." Cassie begins to pout.

"But I like that magazine!"

"Kat, do me a favor and burn all her advice magazines." Kat sips her tea and nods her head. The loud boom of a grandfather clock catches my attention, so I check the time. It's exactly 7:00 a.m., so I decide now's a good time to leave. "Quinn." At hearing my voice, Quinn seemingly comes out of her state of silence. She stands up and heads to the door. Marcus, Kat, and Cassie follow me out. I turn to say my final goodbyes but Kat stops me.

"Don't say goodbye."

"Why not?"

"Goodbye insinuates this will be the last time we see each other. Instead you should say something like Riven said." Kat lightly smiles, knowing she successfully annoyed me. But I can understand why she'd say it, because I don't want this to be the last time I see the DuCouteaus. I grin back to her.

"See you later." Kat lightly punches me on the shoulder with a smile on her face and then steps back inside. Marcus pats me on the shoulder and follows Kat. Finally Cassie gives me a one last hug and then hurries back inside. I stand on the porch for a few moments then turn to Quinn. She seems to stand there uncomfortably. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"So, where are we heading to first?"

"Back to the camp. The carriage is just outside Marcus's gate." Quinn and I begin to walk out to the carriage. The carriage driver sits in the front reading a book when he spots Quinn. He places the book down and opens the carriage door for us. He then shuts it once we're both inside and asks us where to.

"Back to the Sleeping Lion Inn, please." He nods and whips the reins, telling the horses to begin moving. Quinn and I sit in silence, and as much as I want to stop the awkward silence, I decide against it since she seems to look extremely uncomfortable around me. The driver however decides the silence is too much to bear and speaks up.

"So, are you two lovers or something?" Quinn goes extremely red, so the driver lightly chuckles. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, young lady. I remember when I was a teenager in love. Good times...good times."

"W-we're not..." The driver turns his head back.

"What's that, miss?" Quinn tries to speak but seems too nervous to say anything so I speak for her.

"We're not in a relationship. We're just acquaintances through work." The driver then nods his head.

"Ah, so young and working? That's some dedication there."

"Thanks, but please concentrate on the road. I have a lot to think about, and I'd like to do it in silence."

"I didn't mean to be rude, just trying to have a conversation. You don't need to be stressed while you're so young. These are the best years of your life!" I laugh.

"Believe me, I have a lot to be stressed about."

"And why's that, young man?" I move to the open slot that connects the driver to the passengers. I then stick my hand through it with the card Marcus gave me. The driver goes silent. "Just...who are you?"

"Don't worry about that. Just take us to our destination." This successfully silences the driver from speaking any further. Quinn looks at me out of curiosity. So I decide maybe she's ready to speak. "Can I help you?"

"What did you show the driver?" I take out the card and show it to Quinn.

"Noxian High Command card. This gives you a lot of authority here in Noxus."

"Wow...and here I was thinking you were just some sort of assassin." I smirk.

"You think I have power here in Noxus?" Quinn looks at me confused.

"Well, I was assuming with that card you have some sort of power." I nod my head for no. "So, what are you then?"

"You already said it." She looks confused and then comes to a realization.

"So you are just an assassin?" I nod my head for yes. "How much power do assassins have here in Noxus?"

"Remember Noxus's motto?"

"Strength above all?"

"Yep. Everyone below our diplomats and politicians follows that rule. Your worth is assessed by your strength, be it physical, mental, or emotional."

"Why does that only apply to people below your diplomats and politicians?" I laugh.

"Since when do we see warriors running for office?" Quinn brings her legs up to her chest and wraps her arms around them.

"Well, in Demacia the royal families are different types of warriors."

"I thought the royal families were just for show." Quinn nods her head for no.

"They're our rulers. Their word is law, but above them all is the Lightshield family. The true kings and queens of Demacia."

"So then Jarvan is a very important person in Demacia?"

"Yes. That's why people are excited for him to be the king." Quinn begins to smile as she talks about the Prince. "He's a true warrior, who personally leads his units into battle. He's also very charming, and charismatic...and he's so handsome...and funny...and strong..." Quinn begins to blush as she just keeps going on about Jarvan.

"So, this is your true self?" Quinn seems to snap out of her Jarvan fueled trance.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the first time you've seemed to be yourself. I never would have guessed you obsess over the Prince before." Quinn begins to go red in the face and stomps her feet down on the floor of the carriage.

"I-I am not obsessed!" I mouth her an 'okay'. "I'm really not! I mean, yeah, he's a great guy, but..."

"But...?" Quinn brings her legs back to her chest and wraps her arms around them once again.

"He only sees me as a scout." She places her head down into her legs. "I also heard he has an arranged marriage with Luxanna Crownguard for the future..." Quinn loudly sighs, "which is sad because from what Jarvan says, they're at most friends, but their families wish to gain more power." Even though I'm not the kind of guy to really care about other people's problems, I do seem to sympathize with her. I couldn't imagine how Cassie, Riven, or even Kat would feel if I just one day got married to a woman I had no feelings for. Quinn begins to lightly laugh. "You know, I never thought I'd be able to vent my problems to some supposed Noxian elite assassin."

"And I never thought you would have so many problems." She smiles at me.

"It's not like you don't have your share of problems."

"The only problem I have is three girls who constantly bug the shit out of me."

"You know I've actually been curious about that. You seem like the kind of guy who would scare girls off, but instead you seem to attract them." I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Do I seem to scare you from talking to me?" Quinn opens her mouth to speak, but then becomes silent out of surprise.

"Okay, so you do have a side of you other than 'assassin'." I rest my arms on my seat in the carriage, spreading them out in both directions.

"And what side would that be?" Quinn goes into thought for a bit.

"I guess I'd have to say this side is surprisingly..." She thinks for a little bit longer. "I'm going say this side of you is emotionless...yet caring. You're cooler and much more relaxed than most guys are." There it is again. Riven said I was affectionate, and Quinn is telling me that I'm caring. I begin to wonder if I've grown softer since I left the slums... No, no, no. I'm still the same me. Maybe because I was so lonely I never noticed I had this side of me? My thoughts are interrupted when I feel an abrupt stop. I look out the window and notice we're at the Sleeping Lion Inn. The driver holds the door open for Quinn and I, and then attempts to leave. I tell him to wait and reach in my bag and hand him a tip of 50 gold pieces. The man smiles and bows to me, then leaves. Before we head into the forest, I open up my bag and begin to strap daggers inside my pant's waistline, and then hook my arm blade to myself. I throw the strap of my bag over my shoulder and begin heading into the forest, following Quinn's lead. She looks back at me every now and then, but then she slows down to walk beside me. "You look like you're ready to kill someone."

"I've got some minor trust issues."

"So minor, that you're carrying enough weapons to give one to each soldier at the camp?"

"I tend to lose my daggers whenever I start working."

"You don't seem like you'd lose a blade. That's kind of unprofessional."

"In my line of work, you often lose blades inside of people." I laugh to myself while Quinn looks like she didn't think it was as funny. Out of instinct I duck and feel a gust of wind on the back of my neck. I look up to find the shadow of a large bird circling above us.

"Valor! Stop!" Quinn seems to yell to the bird but it's in vain. The bird dives downwards heading right for me. I lift my blade, but before I can swing Quinn pushes my hand causing the bird to cut up my left arm.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Don't hurt him! That's my bird!"

"Well your bird is trying to kill me!"

"I think he's still mad about you hurting his wing...Valor!" The bird lands on the ground a few feet ahead of us. The bird looks me in the eye so I match his stare. It's looking at me as if to challenge me, and I'm not one to back down, so I throw my bag to the floor and get into a fighting position. The bird screeches and flies directly at my face, but this time Quinn jumps in front of me and tackles the bird to the floor. She wraps her arms tightly around it, and holds him to her chest. The bird struggles but Quinn doesn't let go. "Valor, relax! He's not an enemy!" The bird stops panicking and looks at Quinn. It squawks and somehow Quinn understands what it meant. "No, he's working with Jarvan from this point on." It squawks again. "Shh!" She puts her finger to the tip of Valor's beak while looking at me with an embarrassed expression. Quinn sighs, and lets Valor go. He flies back up into the air and out of sight.

"Umm...what the fuck just happened?" Quinn stands back up and pats the dirt off her pants.

"Just my Valor being crazy." That did not answer a single thing, but okay.

"Okay...so how much farther until the camp, because this cut is pretty bad." I look down at my arm and notice that blood is rapidly falling from it in large drops.

"Oh my God, Talon, I am so sorry!" She grabs my arm and drags me to the floor, forcing me to sit. "Do you have water or something?" I reach into my bag and grab a water canteen, but it's empty. So I grab a spare shirt and begin to wipe the blood off. Quinn takes it from my hand and begins to wipe it for me. "This is the least I could do, and again I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it. He might have just hit a vein or something cause it was a small- Holy shit." As Quinn cleans off the last of the blood, it reveals the cut to be much deeper than I originally thought it was. She begins turning pale at the sight of my wound, so I grab another shirt and cover it. "Don't pass out on me. We're almost at the camp I'm assuming?" Quinn lightly nods her head. She inhales deeply, and then exhales before she stands up.

"I'm so bad with blood..." She begins to wave her hand close to her face to fan air to herself. "Okay...the camp should only be another five minutes of walking westbound."

"Alright, let's get moving." I stand up but seem to lose my balance, and begin to trip over myself. I try to get up again, but as I fall, Quinn catches me. "I don't know why, but I can't keep steady..." I notice that my words begin to sound blurry to me, and that Quinn looks like she is in a panic. "Why...do you look so..."

"Quiet! You've lost too much blood!" My eyes begin to feel heavy, and I seem to lose the ability to walk steadily. My whole body begins to feel tired, so I look at my wound. I notice that the large amounts of blood have soaked through the shirt and seemingly began to drop in large gobs. I lightly laugh as I think that maybe this girl was trying to kill me with her bird this whole time. I decide that maybe I deserved this for letting my guard down, even if it was for a second, so I close my eyes and succumb to the weakness in my body.

* * *

**I've been getting some messages about Talon having a harem and all I have to say to that is ** ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**. But for real though, me personally, I can't picture Talon as the relationship type, but...I'm subject to change. Like the other day I didn't think I would be a fan of monster girls and boy did I change my opinion real quick when the sub of Monster Musume came out earlier today. Hehehe. Also, I'd like to fix any spelling/grammar errors but I just don't have so much time to check on all my documents, so if anyone could be a sweetheart and shoot me a message of any problems, that'd be great! **


	21. Peace of Mind

"Hey...are you awake yet?" I can hear voices, but as I open my eyes, everything appears to be a blur. I sit upright in an instant when a small splash of cold water hits my face. I look around and notice that I'm laying on a mat inside a fairly large tent. A man with the caduceus symbol attached to his shirt pocket points a bright light into my eyes. I seem to panic for a moment out of confusion and grab the man by his shirt and throw him below me. I reach for my daggers but notice that I have none, so I start to strangle the man. Suddenly, I'm lifted off of him, and I turn to see who else is in the tent and notice that it's Prince Jarvan.

"Relax, Talon!" He holds me down in a headlock, and drops me on my knees. I seem to get my bearings as I come to. "You alright now?"

"Yeah...yeah..." He lets me go and I drop on all fours. "Wa...ter." Jarvan reaches for a pitcher of water and begins to pour me a cup, but I snatch it from his hands and greedily drink the pitcher spilling a lot on myself, and drinking the rest. I throw the pitcher to the ground when I finish and lay back down on the mat. "Fuck me...what the hell happened?" Jarvan sits on the ground next to me as the doctor I strangled leaves the tent.

"You lost a lot of blood. Like, I mean _a_ _lot. _You came in here about twelve hours ago and have been unconscious ever since. The camp doctor stitched you up, but we couldn't give you blood since we have no idea what your blood type is. So, I'd suggest taking it easy until we get to Demacia."

"When do we leave?"

"We leave tomorrow night. Make sure you have everything you need." Jarvan stands up and heads to the opening of the tent, but before he exits, he turns to me. "You should also pay a visit to Quinn. She's very guilty about what happened." As Jarvan steps out, I attempt to stand on my own, but fall into a knee. I take a deep breath and lift myself all the way up. I look around the tent and spot my bag and all my blades in the corner of the room. I remove my current shirt since it's soaked in water and dried blood, and grab a fresh one from my bag. I slide it on over my head, and use my fingers to brush the tip of hair that fell in my face. I decide I need to stretch my body out since I was immobile for so long, and begin to stretch my arms across my chest. Next I place my legs together and bend over, attempting to touch my toes as to stretch out my back. Finally, I grab my knee and lift my leg up to my chest. I do this to both legs before I feel limber.

When I step out of the tent, the cool breeze of the night gently hits my face. I close my eyes and let the wind pass over me for a few moments before I open my eyes to assess my surroundings. Most tents are alive with light from small lanterns, but the majority of the action comes from the men gathered around a fire. Their loud banter tells me that alcohol has been heavily involved in their gathering. I'd rather not get involved with drunks, so I begin to walk around without a set destination, away from the fire pit. My body is still pretty weak, and knowing drunk soldiers, they would attempt to start a fight with me. I decide to instead take a stroll through the forest for some alone time. I am in no condition to be fighting...in fact I'm not even in good condition to be taking a walk alone in these dark woods, but I decide to press on. The further I get from the camp, the less light I find, and soon enough, only the moonlight illuminates my path. I begin to make mental notes on my surroundings so I can find my way back. The notes are on small, yet noticeable details, like a log with white mushrooms growing out of it about fifty-seven paces away from the camp. At seventy-four paces, lies the carcass of an unfortunate squirrel. And now, at one hundred and thirty-two paces, I've come across a beautiful lake. I notice a rock on the edge of the water and decide to take a seat there. My mind begins to be put at ease thanks to the beauty of the moonlight glimmering off the surface of the water. A memory of long ago pops into my head as I find serenity within my body.

* * *

**5 years ago, one of many unknown Noxian orphanages**

_The boy beneath me begs for mercy as I continuously smash his face into the dirt with my foot._

_"Please...I said-" stomp "I'm sorry!" stomp_

_The boy begins to cry, but I ignore him. _

_"And I said, who do you think you are kicking on a girl who was already knocked down!" stomp stomp stomp _

_Without warning, Riven comes up from behind me and pulls me off the boy. His face is bloodied and swelling as far as I can tell before he takes off running. _

_"T...why would you do that?" _

_"Because I'm pissed off, that's why. It's cowardly to beat on someone who was already defeated!"_

_"Don't you see the hypocrisy? That's exactly what you were doing!" I begin walking to our bench, while ignoring Riven's preaching. Once I get to the bench, I plop down and begin massaging my foot. "You can't just keep getting angry like that!" _

_"I can do whatever I fucking feel like!" Riven sighs loudly. _

_"T, I know you're my partner and all, but you have to learn to control your anger!" I stand up quickly._

_"Why are you chewing me out! I just beat the living hell out of a kid who hurt you!" _

_"There's no honor in fighting like that!" I scoff._

_"Honor is for fools." Riven nods her head left to right quickly as if to deny my statement._

_"Honor is what makes everything all worth it. That's why I somewhat envy the Noxian military...strength above all, for the honor of Noxus." I sit back down on the bench._

_"Even after all you've been through in this hell, you still envy Noxus? Let me tell you something, Riven. Honor doesn't mean a single thing when you're a lifeless body lying on the battlefield. Ask any person who has lost a friend or beloved...ask them if their loss is okay since they died with honor. In fact, ask the ghosts of a million dead soldiers, ask them if it was all worth it." _

_"You're wrong..."_

_"Am I wrong? Tell me Riven, what the hell is a soldier supposed to do with honor? Can he feed his family with it?"_

_"Stop..."_

_"No, you said honor is what makes it all worth it...so tell me Riven."_

_"Shut up..."_

_"You know how many of those honorable soldiers end up in the slums Riven?"_

_"Shut up!"_

_"Do you know how many of them beat the crap out of me, a child, over some spoiled food from the garbage!"_

_"I SAID SHUT UP!" I quiet down out of surprise since this is the first time I've heard Riven yell. She looks down to her lap as her hair falls, covering her eyes. I then notice small streams of tears sliding down her cheeks. _

_"Oh God...don't cry." Riven stands up and looks down at me. _

_"I don't have a lot, T... All I have are my dreams and ambitions in this place...and I won't let you ruin them." _

_"Riven, I didn't mean it like that-" Riven doesn't let me finish as she turns around and runs off, tears falling down her face. I throw my head down and sigh. Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut... I'll let her calm down before I go and talk to her. I lay down on the bench and let one foot dangle loosely off the side. A lone leaf falls from the tree, and lands right on my mouth. I blow a small puff of air and watch the leaf glide to the floor, when I notice it land next to a pair of feet. I look up, and see that it's just Darius and Draven. _

_"Oh, hey." I sit upright._

_"I can see that you're, umm, busy. But I just saw Riven crying her eyes out a little while ago, and I was just wondering what was up with that." I tap my fingers on the bench nervously. "I'm assuming you know what happened?" My tapping gets faster. "Cause she seemed pretty upset." I jump up quickly._

_"Alright, alright, fuck! I'll go find her!" I walk aimlessly around, but I just can't seem to find Riven. I check the main buildings, the restrooms, and even back at our bench for some reason. I grunt in frustration, and begin walking alongside the walls of the orphanage. I hold my hand against the cobblestone, feeling every crack and opening as I walk. Not so far ahead of me, I notice a person sitting alone, with their back to the wall. I continue walking, and notice that it's Riven. I stop moving for a moment, and open my mouth to speak but no words come out. Instead I just slowly make my way over to her, being as quiet as I can as to not disturb her concentration. When I reach her, she seems to know I'm there but doesn't acknowledge it. I place my back on the wall, and slide down into a seated position right next to her. I look forward, but keep my mind on her steady breathing. My body begins to follow her breathing pattern on its own. Riven notices, and opens one eye to look at me. I turn my head when I see that she was looking at me, but when we make eye contact, she immediately closes them again. I bend my knees upward and rest my arms on them while matching Riven's breathing. My body seems to relax as I inhale and exhale over and over. _

_"The key...is form." Riven's sudden voice startles me._

_"Key to what exactly?"_

_"Meditation. It calms the body, and the mind."_

_"Is that so?" I play along with Riven, but I don't normally buy into the whole soul exercises and what not._

_"Cross your legs, T." For now I'll do as Riven says, so I don't upset her anymore. "Now...back straight against the wall." I shift around a bit until I'm able to find a comfortable position. "Okay, now close your eyes. And just follow my breathing."_

* * *

I snap out of my reminiscing and notice that I'm back in the meditating position Riven taught me all those years ago. Guess my imagination is pretty powerful if I can subconsciously move my body. I lay on the rock and look up at the starry sky. I smirk to myself as I think this is the first time I've truly went stargazing, even though I spent all those nights alone in the city. Actually, this is the only time I've ever been able to actually see the stars. The damn city is always clouded by smog, and God knows what other pollutants.

The quiet, yet audible sound of moving water resonated in my ears. I scan the water to find the source of the noise, when I spot a dark figure moving about in the water, close to the land. I squint my eyes in an attempt to get a better look. The figure then walks deeper into the water, where the moonlight reveals beautiful, porcelain white skin. Curiosity keeps my eyes fixated on the figure as it swims about in circles. To my surprise, as the figure floats, I notice a familiar reddish-brown color. I take my shoes off, and roll the hem of my pant legs just below my knees. I slowly lower myself into the water, and find out that it's only a bit above ankle deep where I'm at. I shuffle through the mucky floor of the lake and get closer to the curious figure. The figure dunks its head under the water, and then brings it back up. As it resurfaces, it notices me walking and steps closer and out of the darkness. To my surprise, it's Quinn. The lower half of her body is in the water, but her upper half is bare in all its glory. I can't help but stare as the water drips off of her silky bosom, and into the water below. We both stand there, staring at each other before something inside Quinn's mind seems to click. Her face goes dark red as she throws her arms around her chest, and drops below the surface of the water till only her head is visible.

"Oh, it's just you Quinn." I turn back and head to the shore. Once there I sit down, with my feet sitting in the water. "Jarvan told me you feel guilty about what happened..." Quinn looks like she wants to listen but has other things on her mind. "And let me tell you, don't be." She silently nods as she slowly lowers her head into the water. "In fact, I should be thanking you, for carrying me all the way to the camp and...and are you okay?" The only thing visible is the top of Quinn's head since she submersed the rest of herself into the water. I stand up and begin to walk over to her, but she quickly pops her head up.

"No, no, no!" I stop in my tracks. "Please don't come any closer!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Quinn lowers her mouth into the water and speaks, but all I can hear are the bubbles from the vibration of her words. "What?"

"I...I said, don't come any closer cause...I-I'm..." The suspense is killing me! "I'm naked! And I can't get out with you here!" I flick myself in the head and lightly chuckle. I forget that not everyone is okay with their nude bodies.

"Is that all? Why didn't you just say so."

"Because it's really embarrassing, okay! Please! Just close your eyes!" I cover my eyes and sit back down on the shore. The sound of moving water gets louder as Quinn gets closer to land, but before she comes ashore, she stops. "You promise not to look?"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Are you positive?"

"Just hurry up and get changed before I dress you myself! This back and forth is bugging me!" Quinn squeaks out a small scream and rushes onto the land. I hear her grabbing her clothes, and it's soon followed by the sound of cloth brushing against skin. After a few moments, I hear a sigh of relief from Quinn.

"Okay...you can look now." I uncover my eyes and find Quinn wearing a white tank top, and a pair of designer shorts. I seem to stare for a bit longer than I intended since Quinn begins to blush. "What...do I look weird?"

"No, it's just the first time I've seen you in casual clothes. It looks good on you." Quinn takes a small step back in surprise.

"H-how can you say that so easily!" I tilt my head in confusion.

"Say what?"

"You know..." Quinn taps the tip of her index fingers together, "compliments."

"I just state the truth." Quinn's blush deepens. I stand up and begin walking to collect my shoes from the rock and for no apparent reason, Quinn begins to follow me. "Again, don't feel guilty about what happened."

"You say that, but I do...are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to take it easy for a few days and I should be fine." Quinn blows a small puff of air out of her mouth.

"That's good." We reach the rock, so I climb back on and grab my shoes. I slide them on and begin to walk into the forest, and back to the camp. Quinn and I walk in silence most of the way, but it's a silence that's justified. The beauty of the forest surrounding us would just be bothered by words. A small light ahead of us reveals the location of the camp. The closer we get, the more people I notice passed out due to intoxication. I'm assuming they were celebrating their final night in Noxus, but that's no excuse for lowering your guard. My eyes begin to feel drowsy for some reason. Even though I was unconscious for twelve hours straight, my body seems to demand more rest. I yawn, and stretch my arms above my head. My yawn seems to be contagious as Quinn repeats the exact thing I did. "So, where's your tent at Talon?" I stop walking and begin to think. Was I supposed to pack a tent?! Shit...shit...

"I couldn't help..._hic_...but overhear your dilemma my Noxian friend!" From around the corner Jarvan, with a passed out Shyvana leaning on his shoulder, comes out. They both appear to be extremely blown as well. "I took the liberty of moving your stuff..._hic_...to Quinn's tent." Quinn begins to fumble her words, but speaks up.

"B-b-but-" Jarvan accidentally drops Shyvana to the floor and begins to nod his head and wave his finger.

"Nope...no buts! I am the Prince, and my word is..._hic_...law!" Jarvan bends over and picks Shyvana back up. Shyvana opens her eyes and then begins to sniff Jarvan. She then licks his cheek, and this causes Quinn to quietly yell.

"You taste like human..." She laughs like a wild dog and then promptly passes out. Jarvan turns around and begins to walk to his tent.

"Well..._hic_...goodnight kiddos!" I turn to Quinn, who's face is stunned in a mixture of jealousy, anger, and embarrassment.

"Guess we're bunkmates." Quinn quietly walks without saying a word. I guess she must hate me if sharing a tent is such a big deal to her. Oh well, I'm only here cause of Marcus's orders. I don't need anyone to like me.

Quinn turns to a tent and steps inside, so I follow her. I can easily tell this is hers since it reeks of bird. Quinn says nothing as she grabs a spare blanket and places it down the middle of her sleeping bag. She then grabs my things and places them on the right side of the tent, while she moves her stuff to the left side of the tent, next to a sleeping Valor. She then turns to me.

"You stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine. Agreed?"

"Fair enough." I lower myself onto my back, using my bag of clothes as a pillow. Quinn blows out the light and reminds me once more.

"Stay on your side." I lightly laugh and reply sarcastically.

"Sorry, but I'm a cuddler." I laugh inside my head as I nod off to sleep, but needless to say, the rules were broken about an hour later into the night. Not by me, oh no. Apparently Quinn moves around a lot in her sleep. I look to my right arm and notice Quinn glued to it. I try to shake her off and break loose but to no success. "Quinn. Hey, Quinn." I try to whisper to her, but all she does is nuzzle her face into my neck. I sigh as I think that it's going to be a loud morning when she wakes up.


	22. Mind Break

The high pitched screams of a teenage girl forces me out of my sleep. I quickly jump out from the mat and ready myself for anything. I find Quinn wrapped in a blanket, shaking like a mad man. She looks up at me angrily and begins to blush.

"Y-you!" She points at me with one hand and uses the other to hold the blanket around herself. I then point at myself in confusion and mouth, 'me?' "Yes, _you_! I thought I told you to stay on your side!" She only seems to get angrier as my monotone laugh fills the tent.

"Are you _sure_ it was me who didn't stay on my side?" Quinn throws the blanket over her head in embarrassment while I grab my bag and head out to go through my morning routine. As I step out, the damn bird seems to stare me down with murder in its eyes. I couldn't agree more you little shit. I want you dead as well.

When I head out, the heat of from the sun smacks me across the face. Such a freak heat wave in the middle of autumn catches most of these Demacians by surprise. Most of them are sitting around hung over, and sweating as if they've just completed a marathon. As for myself, I'm used to it.

The weather in Noxus is very erratic. Snow could fall from the sky in a flash freeze at night, but in the morning it could all disappear and be replaced by sweltering heat.

That was just one of the many difficulties of living on the streets in the slums. My body begins to shiver, even though the weather is hot, as I remember the cold nights alone. I try to shake the terrible memories out of my head as I walk to the lake I discovered last night, but it's no use. I begin to remember a time when snow covered the majority of the city. All that was keeping me warm was a thin hooded jacket, and fingerless gloves. My body began to gradually grow stiffer and stiffer as the cold turned my limbs numb. As I walked down the street, a small light coming from a nearby alleyway caught my attention, so I decided to check it out. The light was coming from a small fire inside an empty oil drum, so I quickly ran over to it for warmth. I held my hands out and began to feel the life coming back to them. I remember standing there for a bit when some homeless men came from the darkness of the alleyway. They told me that their fire came with a price, but I said that that was a stupid rule. It was a poor choice of words I thought as they tossed me to the ground, beat me to near unconsciousness, and stole my shoes and gloves. The anger caused by that memory makes me pound my fist against a nearby tree. I ignore the pain and continue to the lake.

The lake isn't as great as a bathroom, but I make do. I reach into my bag and grab a towel, then dip the towel into the water. I take off my shirt and begin to scrub off any remnant of dried blood, dirt, or sweat. The water on my body seems to attract the little bit of cool air in this heat, so I decide to just keep my shirt off. I throw the wet towel around my neck and reach inside my bag to grab my toothbrush, but an odd feeling comes over me. Instead of grabbing my brush, I grab one of my daggers and keep it concealed inside my bag. I close my eyes and concentrate on any sounds, but there are none. Maybe I'm just imagining things? I stuff my dagger back into the bag, and replace it with my toothbrush. I grab my brush and lightly wet with the fresh water from the lake, when I get startled by sudden yelling and the sound of rustling leaves.

"Shyvana stop!" I turn to look and find Shyvana bolting for the lake while laughing. Soon after, I notice Jarvan chasing her. Jarvan is already fully fledged in his armor and chooses not to jump in the water. Shyvana begins to swim around in circles while motioning for Jarvan to join her, but all he does is continue yelling at her to go back to sleep. "Get out of the water now!"

"Make me!" Jarvan sighs in frustration as Shyvana continues to splash around. He then notices me standing there brushing my teeth, so he heads over to me. I place my brush down and spit the water in my mouth out.

"Talon, can you help me get her back to bed?" Putting a dragon to bed? Sounds interesting.

"First, tell me, what is wrong with her?" Jarvan nervously laughs and rubs his chin.

"Well...I may have gotten a bit drunk last night..." A bit? "And Shyvana may have been drinking with me..." May have been? "Now, normally I don't let Shyvana drink with me since dragons are very weak to alcohol, buuuuut...long story short, we killed a large bottle of whiskey by ourselves." A small pebble hits Jarvan on the side of his head, and it's followed by Shyvana's laughter.

"Get in the water, _my _Prince..." Shyvana purrs to Jarvan causing him to go a little red in the cheeks. He seems to take a step toward the water but stops. He bites his lip and looks back and forth between Shyvana, and the path back to the camp. He takes a knee and begins to lightly weep, making me feel very uncomfortable.

"Father...I know I said I would never run..." Jarvan quickly stands back up and bolts, leaving the intoxicated dragon woman in the water. "I'm trusting you Talon! Temptation is a bitch!"

"Get back here you fuck!" I yell to him but he continues running. That damn Prince...dropping his problems on me... I look at Shyvana as she floats on her back, and she just stares back at me. "And you...I was having a nice morning!" Aside from the bad memories. "But no, I just can't seem to get a break! Is my life a lightning rod for fucking drama!" I kick the water angrily, but like the idiot I am, I lose my balance due to the muddy floor, and slip into the water.

"FUCKING HELL!" I squirm around, but the water soon washes over my body, so I stop moving.

As I lay in the water, I notice that the cool liquid is actually a bit refreshing, and I begin to wonder...why am I angry? Am I angry at the drunk dragon? Am I angry at the Prince who runs from his problems? Am I angry cause of my memories? Or maybe I'm just angry for the sake of being angry? A light splashing sound from Shyvana moving closer to the shore, signals that she is walking over to me. I don't even look and just lay on my back, staring at the sky. I feel Shyvana's hands lift my head up from the water, and she places me down in her lap. She begins to stroke my cheek softly...like a mother's kind and caring touch. It's an odd sensation, but I want more.

"Are you...upset?" I sigh, and then take a deep breath before I speak.

"Yeah...not at you though..." She rests her hand on my chest.

"Then what is it?" I chuckle weakly.

"I wish I knew..."

"Being angry doesn't suit you..." I look at Shyvana confused. She's only known me for a few days, how does she know what does and doesn't suit me? "Even when you lost all those men trying to save me...you still kept a smile on your face..."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Keep on smiling, Jarvan...for me."

"Jarvan? I'm not Jar-" Shyvana silences me with a passionate kiss meant for the Prince. I try to break out of it, but she holds me down with her dragon like strength.

"Oh my god! What the hell are you two doing!" I look over and find Quinn staring at Shyvana and I. Shyvana opens her eyes and seems to come to her senses. We both stare at each other for a few moments as her face begins to blush, and turn into a look of anger.

"I...I only belong to my Prince..."

"Shyvana, please, we can talk about this!" I try to calm her down as I feel her grip on me begin to crush my body.

"And you...you've tainted me with your kiss...one I was saving for Jarvan..."

"You thought I was Jarvan, and held me down-"

"SILENCE!" Shyvana lifts me over her head and tosses me far into the lake. She then storms off, angry, and embarrassed.

Even when I felt good about getting someone's sympathy, it turned out to be meant for someone else... I float on my back and begin to think that yeah...my life is definitely a lightning rod for drama. I look towards the shore and notice Quinn standing there, frozen in shock. I notice that she's carrying clothes in her arms, so I refer back to last night where she panicked when I saw her nude. I begin to swim back to land, and grab my things so I can leave. As I'm about to take off though, Quinn tries to scold me.

"W-w-what the hell do you think you're doing kissing Shyvana! That's immoral, and wrong and furthermore-" I walk over to Quinn and squeeze her cheeks with one hand.

"Just...shut the fuck up. Can you do that for me? I have already reached my limit of annoyance for the day, and I will not continue to be bugged." I let go of her, and she immediately silences. I begin to rub my temples as I walk off, soaking wet, and pissed beyond belief.

"Talon, wait!" Quinn calls out to me, but I ignore her and keep on walking.

I'm honestly beginning to regret accepting this mission already, but I have to power through it. I am a man of my word...but is it even worth it? I'm already angrier than I have been in a long while, and the real mission hasn't even started yet...hell, I didn't even leave for Demacia yet! I then begin to feel angry at myself. Since when have I backed down from any challenge? The thought would normally not even cross my mind, so why is it now? Am I changing? Am I no longer the same person I was back in the slums? Or is this the real me? Confused...and angry... I don't like being angry...it only makes me more pissed off when I feel that emotion, in turn, causing me to become even angrier. I begin to slam my head into a nearby tree. This is why I hate dealing with emotions...they're awkward and confusing. Who am I becoming? Who was I to begin with?

_'You're pretty hopeless, aren't you?'_

The voice startles me, so I look around but find no one around me. I'm alone in the forest, but who is talking?

_'I'm in your head, idiot.'_

"What...?"

_'I'm the true Talon, the one you locked deep inside your subconscious.'_

"Elaborate."

_'Well, after many years of traumatic experiences, you changed so rapidly you forgot who you were. What you are now is the result of your time spent as a killer.'_

"I'm not me...but you're me?"

_'Correct.'_

"If you're me...then who am I really?"

_'Since I'm you, and you have forgotten who you are, I don't know either.'_

"Then what was the point of telling me that?"

_'Because I am not you, but at the same time, I am you.'_

"How do I know that you're even real?"

_'You don't know. I may just be a result from the trauma you've done to yourself by banging your head against the tree, combined with the copious amounts of blood you lost.'_

"So...I might be just imagining things? That would explain the sophisticated way you talk..."

_'Possibly. This also could be the way you originally talked.'_

I sit down with my back against the tree I banged my head against, and continue to seemingly talk to myself. "You don't know if that's how I used to talk?"

_'As I've stated before, if you have forgotten, then so have I.'_

"I see... Since you're inside my head, are there any memories that might interest me? I've been going through a lot of involuntary reminiscing."

_'Well...there are the memories you were forced to forget during your time with the Black Rose.'_

At the mention of the Black Rose, the demon bird that would occasionally haunt my dreams in the night, flashes in my mind.

_'It seems you're quite familiar with that demon. That thing appeared to be the head honcho of the organization.'_

"But what is it?"

_'I am not sure. One thing that is for certain, is that you are destined to meet it again.'_

I can't control myself, but my body seems to shake slightly...in fear? "Why do I fear it so much?"

_'Unlike being manipulated, and forced to carry out the Black Rose's orders, the fear of the demon was genuine. Not by only you, but by everyone else as well in the organization.'_

"Okay, but why do I fear it so much?" The voice in my head is silent for a few moments.

_'I don't think you feared the demon itself...but I believe you fear what it plans.'_

"And what is it planning?" The voice in my head goes silent. "Come on, what is it planning!"

_'I...I cannot say. All I can say is be ready... The demon's plans will shift the balance of power in not only Noxus, but the entirety of Runeterra itself.'_

I begin to feel frustrated. "If it's that severe, then fucking tell me!"

_'If you care even a little bit about your family, then it's best to not know.'_

"I don't have a family, so tell me!"

_'Do the DuCouteaus not fall into the category of your family?'_

"Of course not! I only work for Marcus, and train with Katarina!"

_'Talon, I am you. And you and I both know you are lying to yourself. So there you have it. The reason I cannot tell you.'_

My conscious puts me at a loss for words. The DuCouteaus...are my family? No, that's not true! I'm just a boy indebted to the man who took me off the streets.

_'And then why doesn't that categorize Marcus as a father?'_

"Because he's my master."

_'Oh? It's not very often you see a master take a child into their home, tell them they can have anything they want if they just ask, and openly give them permission to fool around with the ladies of the household.'_

"He...he just approves of me! That's all!"

_'Quit telling yourself lies. You are a son to him.'_

"Shut up..."

_'The girls known as Cassie and Kat can be considered your sisters, if they're not your lovers.'_

"Shut up!"

_'Why do I have to? I am only telling you what you need to hear. And you need to know that you have a family now. A family who cares for you as much as you care for them.'_

"No! They're only my saviors! I feel obligated!"

_'Obligated?' _

The voice in my head begins to chuckle.

_'Just so you know...I cannot leave your mind until you come to terms with the fact that you're a caring person, Talon. So, the sooner you admit that you're a loving and soft individual, who deep down doesn't wish to kill, the sooner I'll be gone.'_

"Then I guess we're going to be getting acquainted with each other, cause news flash, killing gives me a sick satisfaction." I smirk as I think that I've defeated my own mind. The response I get is a single laugh.

_'Yes...keep telling yourself that. Be ready, someone is coming.'_

And with that, the voice in my head goes silent. Sure enough, I begin to hear a voice that's not inside me, followed by some footsteps.

"Talon? Talon! Where are you! We're about to leave!" Wait, we're leaving? How long have I been sitting at this tree? The leaves begin to rustle, and Quinn walks into my view. "There you are! We've been looking for you all day! Hurry up, Jarvan was about to leave you behind and report to Marcus you abandoned your mission." I stand up and begin to change in front of Quinn. She starts going red in the face. "W-what the hell are you doing!"

"Changing. I was rudely interrupted from my morning routine and couldn't finish." Quinn averts her eyes, but I can tell she's looking because as soon as I finish, she somehow just so happens to look back to me.

"So indecent...come on, let's go back to the camp." Quinn turns around and begins to walk, so I grab my bag and follow.

When we get back to what used to be the camp, I notice that everything is packed onto horses, pack mules, and large carriages. The sound of a pair of horses catches my attention, so I turn to my right and notice Jarvan and Shyvana coming towards me on horseback.

"Ah, glad to see you're still with us, Talon! Just hop onto any carriage you'd like, and make yourself comfortable, cause we shouldn't get to Demacia until tomorrow afternoon if there are no problems."

Jarvan turns and begins yelling orders to his men while riding off. Shyvana stays in her spot for a bit while glaring at me. I guess she's still mad...even though what happened was definitely not my fault. Quinn motions for me to follow her to a carriage full of Demacian troops.

"Come on, they shouldn't bother you." I wave my hand to decline her invitation.

"I'd rather be alone at the moment." Quinn looks a little disappointed, but doesn't press any further.

I walk to a carriage that's filled with cargo and find a spot where I can squeeze myself in comfortably, and sit there alone.

_'You don't want to be alone.'_

"Shut the fuck up."

_'So why do you do it to yourself?'_

"Because I am alone!"

_'Oh yes, so let us just forget about the beautiful girl who invited you to ride with her. Or the shy, yet powerful exotic girl who adores you no matter who you'd become. Or maybe the childish, but loving blonde haired beauty who wants you most of all in this world, oh yes, very alone. Or let us not forget the red headed gal who is interested in the same things you are, and secretly fantasizes about you and her together doing this and that-'_

"Wait what."

_'What? Do you not get that vibe from her?'_

"Not at all."

_'Well...we've got a long trip ahead of us, so I might as well teach you how to read the 'signs'.'_

I sigh loudly as my inner monologue begins to lecture me on the feelings of girls. This is indeed, going to be a long trip...

* * *

**I personally thought it would be nice to add a unique character to the story, but I didn't really feel like coming up with an OC (or does this count as an OC?), thus, Talon's inner self came into creation! Hopefully you guys like him, cause I plan on keeping him around for a bit. So yeah, read and review to help me improve! And also I'd like to give thanks to all who messaged me with tips and ideas, it really helped me get an idea of where I'd like to take the story because so far, the way I've written this story, it can head into so many directions.**


	23. Welcome to Demacia

_'...so you see, that's why I say girls are like puzzles-'_

"I've told you time and time again, I do not give a flying fuck!"

_'You need to know this information, Talon. You can't just break a girl's heart by leaving them with no answer on how you feel about them. Now...onto the next topic!'_

I sigh loudly since I cannot silence the voice in my head. It has been about nineteen hours since we've set off on the road, and I've contemplated slitting my own throat a few times. I find it hard to believe that my inner monologue is my true self, because if that's how I'm supposed to be, I'd honestly rather die. I'm also pretty irritated...I thought that being in this cramped space would be perfectly fine, but to be honest, my back and ass are killing me. I can't even stand to stretch my body out; the most I can do is my legs, but I've already stretched them out countless times so I feel like I can jump over a building.

_'...and that's why you use conditioner, AND shampoo before a date. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Talon? Talon? Talon!'_

I snap into attention. "What?"

_'Did you not hear the importance of hair moisture before a date?'_

I rub my hand across my face and sigh. "No...nor do I care."

The voice takes a deep breath. _'Do not worry, I'll go over it again. A man's hair is one of the key things... Oh shoot, we'll have to continue this later.'_

The carriage that I'm inside abruptly stops, causing me to slide forward just a bit. The driver seems to hop down from his seat and walks off to the back of the carriage. A loud, commanding voice that can belong to none other than Jarvan himself, begins to bark out orders. Suddenly, the doors to the back of the carriage I'm sitting in flies open. The man who opens the door screams, causing a few surrounding men to come to his aid, swords drawn. I grab my bag and step out, and they all sneer at me. One of the men pats the screaming man on the shoulder.

"Don't need to be scared. It's just a Noxian." The men laugh, but I don't find it amusing, so I walk off.

Ahead of me is a pretty spectacular sight. Not so far off into the distance, the bright shine of brilliant golden lights glows in the afternoon sun. It's very hypnotic, so I just stand and stare.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I look next to me and find Quinn standing there with Valor hanging on her arm. "I remember the first time I visited the Demacian capital...being the country girl I am, I probably looked so out of place compared to the city dwellers." Quinn softly laughs to herself as she continues telling me of her experience. I'd rather not listen to this story, but something inside me compels me to stay.

_'That something is called being considerate to her feelings.'_

"Shut up!"

Quinn stutters a bit, and stops telling her story."Jeez...I'm sorry I tried to tell you a funny story." Quinn walks off while Valor glares at me. I grunt in anger as the voice inside my head has now created a misunderstanding. I turn to follow Quinn and apologize, but I decide against it. I will not let some figment of my imagination toy with me. I begin walking down the road to find Jarvan. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be doing right about now, so maybe he'll enlighten me. As I'm walking, I get yanked off to the side and come face to face with Shyvana.

"Sorry to startle you, but I'd like to apologize."

"For?"

Shyvana starts to look embarrassed. "I will not say since you already know..." Her hold on my shirts gets tighter, but she loosens up. "Just...don't tell Jarvan I- ...You know..." Shyvana lets go of me and wiggles her hips uncomfortably. I can tell she's not good about these kind of things. She's sort of like me in a way.

"Don't worry. I'd like to forget that happened, too." Shyvana puts her hand on her chest, and lets out a sigh of relief.

"You have my thanks." Before she walks off, I stop her.

"You're always by Jarvan's side, yes?" Shyvana nods her head while blushing. "Can you tell me where he's at?" She heads to the opposite side of the road that was blocked by large carriages, and points further up north of the road. I follow her to the other side and spot Jarvan talking to three men fitted in large blue and white metallic armor. I begin walking towards him and as I get closer, I'm able to hear their conversation. I can't help but listen.

"...we understand my Prince, but your father and the Crownguards are not happy with it."

"Why? Is my word no longer enough to satisfy them?" Jarvan begins to get louder causing the men to back down slightly in fear.

"N-no my Prince! It's just that they do not trust a Noxian coming into the city." Jarvan seems to notice me coming from the corner of his eye. He turns his head to face me and smiles. I want to turn around since this conversation is about me, but before I can, Jarvan places his hand down roughly on my shoulder and places me by his side, and faces me to the three Demacian men. They look down at me, then at Jarvan. "Sorry if I'm being rude my Prince, but is this someone you know?" No, he just grabbed some stranger by the shoulder and decided to buddy up next to them like any person would do. I keep that to myself though.

"This here is Talon. The oh so dangerous Noxian the Crownguards and my father are fretting over." The men look surprised.

"But...he can't be any older than eighteen!" Jarvan laughs heartily and removes his hand from my shoulder.

"You see? Go and tell my father that there is nothing to be afraid of!" The men look at me once more and scoff.

"Yes my Prince." They turn to mount on their horses and begin to talk among themselves. "To think we had to come all the way out here for one puny Noxian..." The men all laugh as they ride off to the Demacian capital. I try to hold in my annoyance, but let out a small grunt. Yeah, a puny Noxian who can end your life faster than you can say 'sorry'. Jarvan taps on my shoulder so I turn to face him.

"Don't let it get to you. A lot of Demacians believe they are above a Noxian just because they...you know, are Demacians. But I say to hell with that stupid nonsense! Every person deserves to be seen as an individual! Demacian, Noxian, Zaunite, Piltovian, or whatever else you may be, just always remember, Talon. Do not judge someone just because the majority gets a bad reputation, judge someone based on their character and resolve!" The sun seems to shine upon Jarvan and his golden armor as he looks off into the distance. I stare in awe as he looks to me. "And now..." I lean in to hear if he has anymore words of wisdom for me, "I must go put on some underwear and get this caravan moving into Demacia...the metal is burning my man parts." Never mind. Jarvan lifts his right leg upward and tugs at the crotch area of his armor and shuffles it around, then walks off.

_'That man will one day lead Demacia.'_

I blow air out of my nose. "I think Demacia will be just fine." The caravan suddenly begins moving, so I jump onto the back of the nearest carriage and step inside. I open the door right as the carriage hits a bump in the road, and clumsily roll inside onto my back. I sit up and remove my bag and move around until I find a comfortable spot to sit. This carriage is much more roomy than the one I was sitting in since last night. I can't help myself but rest my eyes... Only for a bit, but soon enough, my body begins to feel weary. Okay, just a small powernap until we reach the city...just a small one...a small one...yes...

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Ya think he's dead, mates?" The world blurrily comes into view. "Oi, hey! He's wakin' up!" I yawn loudly and stretch my arms above my head. I notice that the carriage is empty, save for myself and some other young man in the back with me. "I ain't never seen someone able to sleep through a cargo unloadin' job! That's pretty 'mazing if ya ask me!" I rub my eyes in confusion.

"Where...where the hell am I?"

"Why, you're at the Demacian capital's distribution center! Err, well not _the _distribution center, but one of 'em. We unload cargo and such." I look at him surprised, so I push past him and step out of the carriage, and sure enough, I'm in some sort of warehouse. The man steps out after me. "So, are ya someone important? Cuz I mean, ya did come in with the Prince and his squad." I smack my forehead.

"Why didn't you wake me..." The man rubs his arm.

"Well...ya looked like ya were comfortable and such sleepin' there. So me and my mates felt like it'd be wrong to wake ya." Oh my...FUCKING GOD. And that damn Prince left me here when I've never even been outside of Noxus! I inhale deeply, then exhale. Alright...just stay calm and think.

"Okay...tell me. Where did the Prince go?" The man taps his chin for a few moments. And then gasps when he finally comes up with an, I assume, rare thought.

"I think he went back home to the palace! Yep, I think that's about right!" Alright, so far so good.

"And where would that palace be at?" The man looks at me confused.

"Ain't ya a Demacian? Every Demacian knows where the palace is at!" Oh...

"Well...I'm a guest to Demacia, so this is my first time in the city."

"Ah, Piltovian?"

"Umm, no?"

"Zaunite?"

"No."

"Oh! An Ionian?"

"Just tell me where the damn palace is!" I lose my cool and startle the man. I collect myself and breathe in. "Sorry for yelling...just please, tell me where the palace is so I can be on my way..."

"It's in the center of the city...ya can't miss it." I blow some air out of my mouth. I finally can get the hell away from this idiot. He points me in the direction of the exit; a small door at the corner of the warehouse with a glowing sign labeled exit lets me know where to go. I step out and stand in awe. The sheer cleanliness of the city is so amazing, it's actually appalling. Everywhere I look, there appears to be no sign of garbage or bodily fluids. I take a large whiff of the air and can actually smell. Not smell a certain set scent, but I mean I can actually breathe without having to gag! My feet begin to move on their own as I look around in awe. All of the buildings are well kept, no homeless people or beggars walk the streets, and everyone appears to be out of poverty. I pay no attention to the way I'm walking and accidentally bump into someone. I turn to look at them, thinking they'd give me the usual 'watch where you're walking'.

"Sorry! My fault, sir!" The man tips his hat with a smile, and walks off. I stand there stunned. It was most definitely my fault, but he took the blame and apologized? What the hell kind of happy-go-lucky place is Demacia?

I shake those thoughts out of my head and begin to focus on the task at hand; finding the palace. I scan the horizon, and sure enough, as plain as day, sits a large castle like building in my view. Doesn't look too far away, so I decide to head onto the rooftops and cut through the city as quickly as possible. I cross the road into a nearby alleyway, and use a rain gutter to climb onto the roof of the nearby shops. Once I'm up there, I begin to think this might actually be harder than I thought. The buildings in the distance differ in height, unlike Noxus where all businesses are on ground level, except for maybe a cellar in certain places. I tighten my bag's grip on my shoulders and ready myself for running and jumping. I take off quickly and leap to the building across from me and repeatedly do so until I come across a major road. I look down and spot another alleyway leading to the roofs and jump off. I land and roll to absorb the blow of the fall, surprising the people I land near. I run to the other alleyway feeling the people's stares, and quickly make my way up to the rooftops once again. Once I reach the top, some yelling directed towards me catches my attention.

"Halt! You cannot be up there!" I look back down and notice a crowd has formed, along with two men in the blue and white armor like the ones I saw outside of Demacia. It's safe to assume that they are the city guards. "Please step down immediately, or we will have to use force!"

"I can't. I need to go to the palace, I'm on urgent business." The men grab the hilt of their swords.

"Step down immediately, sir! The palace is off limits to the general public!" I don't have time for this. I ignore their orders, and begin to jump from rooftop to rooftop. Everyone seemed completely shocked that I would dare defy the guards, and the guards did as well. I hear them down in the alleyway barking at me to stop and surrender. Ha, like I would stop right when there's a dead end coming up in the alleyway. As I jump to the next rooftop, I watch the guards stop at the wall. I look at them and laugh for a bit, when suddenly, one of them pulls out some sort of device shaped like a flat circle. The device begins to glow blue and the man starts to yell into it.

**...**

Oh shit... It's a communication device! The guard yells out my location and the direction I'm running to, along with a description of what I'm wearing, and needless to say, I stand out since my all black pops out in this city of brightly colored clothes. I begin hopping to the next set of buildings, and come across another major road. This time, however, at least five more Demacian guards are waiting for me. I go the edge of the building and watch as a huge crowd of onlookers forms on the other side of the road, blocking the next alleyway.

"Come down now, but drop your bag first!" That's right! My blades! I crack a small smile as I dig into my bag and reach for my arm blade. Let the killing time begin!

_'Remember what Marcus told you, do not do anything that would cause another war between Noxus and Demacia!'_

Son of a bitch, I forgot. This isn't Noxus...I can't just kill these guards and fade away into the shadows. As I strap in my blade, I begin to think of ways to continue onto the palace. I can't use these roads to my advantage since I don't know my way around these parts. Guess my only option would be to try and make a break for it. The reveal of my arm blade shocks all the onlookers, but they seem to stay for a show. The guards ready their swords and call for back up. I close my eyes and picture myself behind the guards. The loud, combined gasps of all the pedestrians lets me know it was a success. I open my eyes and turn to the alleyway and make a break for it. I raise my blade at the bystanders blocking the alleyway, so they all scream and run for safety. The guards are right on my tail so attempting to climb up the rain gutters now would be foolish. I stop and face the guards as they rush me with a loud Demacian battle cry. These guards are much more skilled than the Noxian guards, so they're able to push me back. The sound of more guards coming startles me, so I turn around and run deeper into the alleyway. I'm able to outrun them since they're all in heavy armor while I have my light leather. I jump onto the closest dumpster to use as a vantage point and look down the line of guards for the one furthest in the back. I spot him and picture myself behind him; once I teleport behind him, I head for the road again. Unfortunately, my path is blocked. The guards have beat me there, so I'm now cornered. They rush me on both sides swords drawn... No... NO! I REFUSE TO BE CAUGHT! No...there's nothing I can do...I'm going to be defeated...I'm a failure... I'm an idiot and a failure... I drop to one knee, as time appears to slow down. Their swords are sticking out as if telling me they're about to enter my body. The world goes silent...and my mind seems to be put at ease. Is this some sort of nirvana? Have I finally found peace as I'm about to die? ... What a cruel fucking world...I will not miss it. I close my eyes and ready my body, but my head begins to ache. One final memory before I die? Hopefully it's a rare happy one...

* * *

**2 years ago**

_I stand over my latest victim watching his body become drained of color as the blood pours out of his neck. I don't know the man. Probably didn't even deserve this, but I've got to do what I need to do to survive. I use the man's shirt to clean the blood off my little pocket knife, and begin to search his pockets. I start to pat his pockets down, but feel nothing. Of course...what was I expecting. The man came out of a damned homeless shelter for fucks sake. I sigh loudly. So then why did I do it? I guess you could say I'm fucked up in the head. _

_"Dad...daddy?" I turn around and spot a little girl. She stands there...frozen. I can't help but stare. I look down at the man, then back to the girl. I...I can see the resemblance... Why...why did she have to see this? Tears begin to fall down her face as she slowly makes her way over to the man's body. She ignores me and sits right by his side. I stand up and back away, but I still can't take my eyes off this scene I've caused. The girl's eyes make me jump as she looks to me. "Why..." That's all she says before she breaks down wailing in grief. I can't take it anymore...I turn around quickly run as fast as I can away from her. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't... I've killed her father, so comforting her would be the worst thing to do...well at least the worst thing I could do for her... A loud crack of thunder fills the air, followed by sudden pouring rain. My mind can't seem to get off the girl...why...why...why...why...WHY! _

_I trip and fall, but I just lay there on the road letting the rain hit me. I...I don't know why...maybe I really am fucked up in the head... I push myself up as I notice a puddle has formed below me. I look down and stare at my reflection in the water. Are those...tears coming down my face? I smack the water, sending my reflection away. No...that's the rain coming down my face... This sensation coming from my eyes...it's just the rain...just the rain...just the rain... I curl up into my knees and begin to bawl my eyes out... I'm not strong enough to deal with this shit..._

* * *

That's bullshit...I am strong! I don't remember crying like that! I look up as time begins to revert back to normal and the guards start to reach me. I am strong...I AM STRONG!

The world seems to distort for me, and everything loses its color. The guards stop running, successfully confusing me.

"Where...where the hell did he go!" "Spread out, find him!" All sorts of confusion spreads among the guards. They all exit the alleyway, talking into their communication devices, but I'm not even sure what in the hell happened. I mean...I'm still in the alleyway... Whatever, I'll take it!

I head to the rain gutters and begin to climb back onto the rooftops. Once I'm up there, the world distorts once again, and color returns to me. I feel as if my body is drained of all energy, so I lay down and stare at the sky to rest. I begin to laugh to myself. How could I lose faith? I'm Marcus DuCouteau's apprentice...I'll become a legendary assassin one day...I even still have the persona 'The Blade's Shadow' in the slums. I even have those girls back home who believe in me...

_'What's this...starting to recognize them as women?'_

I grunt in annoyance with my inner self, but then I begin to think...maybe...just maybe, lusting over a girl would be kind of fun. I mean...I've never had a strong urge of that sort of temptation, but while living with the DuCouteaus, I've began to feel it more often with Riven, Cassie, Kat...and even Quinn now...

My inner self chuckles. _'You may not be accepting yourself fully yet...but giving into the feelings of love...it's a start.'_

"I don't love them..."

My inner self chuckles some more. _'Yes...of course.'_

I sigh and continue staring at the sky. Such a beautiful day...unusually beautiful...is it because I thought I was going to die?

_'You're starting to become conscious of the world, Talon. It's the first step to remembering who we were.'_

Conscious of the world? "What do you mean?"

_'Remember the days when you would only think of where to sleep, what to eat, and who to kill?'_

I nod my head.

_'Well...you're starting to expand your horizons on what you think you need in this world...first it's girls...next it might be family.'_

Am I really desiring new things? I mean...I have seen a completely different world as compared to my time in the slums, so I guess it would only be natural. I mean, I'm pretty sure humans of long ago didn't desire the things we've had now...so maybe our needs/wants change as our world changes. Like right now...I'm in need, and wanting, of some sleep. I'm not sure how the hell I escaped from those guards, but whatever happened put a major strain on my body. I let the fatigue wash over me, and soon enough my body begins to go numb as sleep overcomes my world. Sadly, the memory of the little girl follows me into my dreams...

_Why... Why... Why... Why... Why... Why... Why... Why..._

* * *

**Conversation with my friend Tyus-**

_**Me: yo, coach is pissed you ditched practice, where u at?**_

_**Tyus: sleepin, was up all night playin league nigga**_

_**Me: wtf, since when did you play?**_

_**Tyus: i saw u playin it at your house, but when i called it gay af i actually went and tried it when i got home**_

_**Me: fr? down to play?**_

_**Tyus: yeah i gotchu**_

_**Me: chill, who do you play?**_

_**Tyus: talons my nigga bruh**_

**Talon...popular among the young black youth! (Not trying to be racist, just thought that'd be funny to share) Also, tell me how I'm doing so far in the reviews, it would be great to improve my writing, cause I was reading my story and holy hell...the first 10 chapters I feel were so bad compared to these later ones. Improvement OP!**


	24. The Demacian Palace

**Meanwhile, at the Demacian palace**

Jarvan walks in circles inside his room as he waits for Shyvana to show up. He doesn't know how he managed to lose Talon, but he did. He was supposed to bring him to the palace to meet his father, but now, as Jarvan tries to stall him, Jarvan the Third grows tired of waiting on a Noxian. The sound of clinking metal and footsteps causes Jarvan to run to the door and poke his head out. He looks both directions quickly then yanks Shyvana inside his room.

"Y-you called for my immediate presence in your room my Prince?" Shyvana looks shyly to the floor as she slowly begins to remove her armor. Jarvan reaches out and places her armor back to where it should be on her body.

"Stop with the jokes! I need you to do something for me, Shyv!" Shyvana looks embarrassed about her actions but listens to her Prince's request. "I'm not even going to embellish the truth. I lost Talon." The dragon woman looks at Jarvan confused.

"Umm...what do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like! I'm not sure what the hell happened, but once we dropped off the cargo, my scout, Quinn, pointed out that Talon wasn't in any of the transport carriages!" Jarvan continues on, while pacing back and forth in his room. "This is not good...my father and the Crownguards are already upset that I've brought a Noxian into the city, and this will surely not make them feel more at ease that Talon is out and about unattended! I already have Quinn and her bird out looking for him, but just in case, go and inform the guards to be on the lookout for a boy in black armor! I'll try my best to keep my father calm, but we need to find him ASAP. God only knows what kind of trouble a boy who has only ever been in Noxus can get into..."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Whenever my dreams aren't nightmares, they're rather boring. All my dreams that aren't nightmares, are just me standing alone in an empty all white world. This time however...I stand alone with my doppelganger that I'm assuming is my inner self.

_'Is now really the time to sleep?'_

"Why would it not be?"

_'You're supposed to be helping Jarvan clean up the gangs of Demacia. So why would you go ahead and cause unnecessary trouble?'_

I scoff. "It was necessary."

_'Oh really? All you had to do was step down from the roof and inform the guards that you really are here on urgent business with the Prince.'_

I open my mouth to retort, but I start to think. Maybe that would have worked, too. However, I will not admit I'm wrong. "I don't take orders from anyone!"

_'Except Marcus?'_

"Yes, except Marcus."

_'Cause he's your father?'_

"Yes- ...wait, no! It's because I respect him!"

My inner self begins to laugh. _'Yes, yes, yes. You don't need a family, love, or anyone but yourself? Quite the cliché brooding man you are.'_

"I don't brood..."

_'Ha! Then tell me, why do you try and deny the things that make you happy? Deep down inside, you know that you want to accept the DuCouteaus as a family, deep down inside you want to accept love from all the girls in your life, and deep down inside...you might not believe me now, but it's the truth.' _My inner self walks up to me, and slowly begins to fade away as he looks me in the eye. _'Deep down inside...you don't want to kill...' _As my inner self fades into nothing; my dream world begins to tremble as if it was hit by a massive earthquake. Suddenly, the floor beneath me begins to crack, so I try to run away. No matter how quickly I run, the cracks in the floor catch up to me, and then without warning, the ground splits in half and I begin to fall into the darkness. I turn and face the darkness as I freefall. A lone figure stands in the dark, but I cannot tell just what it is yet. Soon, the image becomes clear to me...the demon bird. My body begins to tremble, but I can't help it. I'm falling right into its grasp. As I'm about to hit the demon bird, it fires a ball of feathers at me, then everything goes blank...

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Val! You can get off of him now!" I open my eyes and notice the damned Demacian girl's bird is laying right on top of my chest. I swat at it, causing it to flap its wings right in my face. I push it off and sit up. "Jeez, you're lucky Valor spotted you here on this roof before the guards did." I rub my eyes and look up to Quinn. She's no longer in her scout armor, but instead some pretty standard Demacian civilian clothes. A light blue t-shirt, and skin tight blue jeans that hugs her form. "What the hell were you thinking! Causing trouble as soon as you get into the city! I was so- err, I mean, Prince Jarvan was so worried!"

"If he was so worried, he shouldn't have left my ass behind." I reach for my bag and stand up. I throw my bag around my shoulders. "I mean, honestly, how can he be so excited to have me in Demacia and then forget all about me!" I sigh. No point in complaining now, the deed is done. "Alright, I'm done venting my frustrations. What now?"

"Hold on, let me ask." Quinn reaches into her back pocket and pulls out the communication device the guards were using. She clicks on a button on the side and it begins to glow bright blue. "Call, Prince Jarvan." ...

_*UNKNOWN CALLER ID, PLEASE TRY AGAIN*_

"Call, Jarvan!" ...

_*UNKNOWN CALLER ID, PLEASE TRY AGAIN*_

Quinn begins to blush and squeeze down on the device in frustration. She then looks to me. "Don't ever speak of this to anyone. Call..." she looks at me once more, embarrassed, "call, 'My Sexy Prince Charming'" ...

_*CALLING JARVAN LIGHTSHIELD THE FOURTH*_

I can't help but let a small giggle out.

"Shut up!"

I throw my hands up in mock innocence. "I didn't say anything."

"I swear...if it wasn't for the Prince's orders I wouldn't even think about coming to help you! You're just a filthy, annoying, perverted Noxian!"

_"Umm...Quinn?" _Quinn goes silent after hearing Jarvan's voice come out from the device. _"I'm assuming you found Talon?"_

"Yes my Prince!"

_"Excellent! Now, let me speak to Talon." _Quinn seems reluctant to hand the device over to me, but she does. It's quite a foreign feeling to me, I've never held anything this...advanced. _"Talon?"_

I'm not sure how this thing works, so I put it up to my mouth. "Yes?"

_"Ah, fuck! Don't hold it so close to your mouth! It'll come out way too loud if you do that." _Quinn covers her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from laughing at my confusion. I move it away from my mouth just a bit.

"Yes?"

_"Okay...first off, what in the world were you thinking? I sent Shyvana down to get the guards to look for you, but instead she found out that you're already wanted for running from authorities, trespassing, assault against multiple guards, and disturbing the peace!" _I look at the device, stunned. Did I really manage to do all that? _"It's okay now, I told them you were with me, but still...you're not doing Noxus any justice by proving the stereotypes right!"_

"To be fair, I had no idea you weren't allowed to cut across the rooftops to get through the city."

I hear a loud smacking sound, which I assume was Jarvan smacking his forehead in frustration. _"Just...I don't even know. Tell Quinn to drop you off at the palace's front gates. I'll be waiting there, and Talon, be on your best behavior. The Crownguards and my father are curious as to why I trust a Noxian coming into the city, so they'd like to see you for themselves."_

I begin to laugh before speaking sarcastically. "When am I not on my best behavior?"

_"Please drop the attitude before you get here, sweetheart. Thanks." _

The device goes silent, and the bright blue glow fades away. I hand it over to Quinn, who stuffs it into her back pocket. She place the tip of her index finger and thumb inside her mouth, and whistles loudly. Soon after, Valor begins to make his descent from the sky. Quinn stretches her arm out, holding it for Valor to land upon. The bird flutters his wings to slow his landing and gently grips onto Quinn's arm.

"Alright, Val. We're done for the day, so you can go. I'll meet you back at home." The bird squawks happily as Quinn pets his beak. She then extends her arm once more, allowing Valor to spread his wings to full length. As he stretches his wings out in preparation for take-off, I can only stare in awe. They said Demacian eagles are the embodiment of the Demacian spirit...and hell I could believe something even as stupid as that with how beautiful this bird is. A single thrust is all it takes for Valor to launch into the sky. I find myself watching him soar high above Quinn and I, and I begin to wonder...flight would be an amazing feeling. There's nothing but open space way up there. That's true freedom; when you can move freely with nothing to stop you. "He's cool, isn't he?" I look to my right and see Quinn has joined me in watching Valor fly off.

"Your bird? Yeah...even though he's still a little shit, he's pretty cool."

Quinn softly laughs. "He might be just a bird to everyone else, but Val...he's more than that to me. If it weren't for Valor I'm not even sure how I could cope..."

I look at her confused. "Cope? Cope with what?"

Her eyes go wide for second in a realization that she might have said too much. "N-nothing! Come on, we got to get to the palace!" Quinn takes off before I can respond. I begin to follow her but she's pretty quick and manages to keep a distance from me.

_'Appears we stumbled upon something she doesn't want to share.'_

"If she doesn't want to share it, that's fine."

_'Don't you understand? She almost told you a secret!'_

"Oh wow, a secret!"

_'Yes, secrets can go either way in a relationship, they can bring you closer or tear you apart.' _Guess my inner self didn't catch onto my sarcasm... And I guess whatever this secret is seems pretty bothersome to Quinn, so I won't press her for any information.

**The Demacian Palace's Main Gates**

I'm not even sure how fast that girl can go, but she was going pretty quick. I wasn't able to keep up at all and I found myself sitting on the floor by the gates, trying to catch my breath. Quinn on the other hand seems perfectly fine...guess this is part of the reason why she's a scout.

"Talon, Jarvan's coming this way." I look to Quinn who points in a direction past the gates. He's no longer in his golden armor, but instead he has on elegant blue and white robes that makes him look like royalty as much as he is royalty. Two Demacian guards seem to come out of nowhere and rush to open the gate before Jarvan can reach it. As he walks past, the guards and Quinn bow their heads in respect. I stay where I'm sitting, trying to get my breathing right as he walks up to me.

"Glad to see you were able to make it." He holds a hand out, so I clasp onto it and he helps me up. He eyes me up and down and nods his head in disapproval. "You can't meet my father and the Crownguards like this..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where do I begin..." he brings his right hand up to his chin, and uses his left hand to prop his elbow up, "you're dirty, your clothes are a little tore up, your hair's a mess, you look like you're ready to kill me-"

"Alright I get it!" I snap at the barrage of insults thrown at me. Sadly, they're all true. "So, how do you want to present me to your father?" Oh god, what am I saying...why are we talking as if I'm some sort of display.

"New plan...we'll introduce you at dinner tonight. The Crownguards and Spiritmights are coming over for a small banquet in honor of mine and Garen Crownguard's return home from our missions. I'll have some servants get you ready for the night." Jarvan throws an arm around my neck and pulls me close to him. "First, let me show you where you'll be staying! The palace is just absolutely lovely!" He then begins to drag me off as I watch the gates close, locking me into what assume is going to be hell for me.

As Jarvan drags me inside, I notice that everything inside the palace is pretty...medieval. That's one way to put it I guess. The outside of the palace was painted to match the Demacian colors I guess, because the inside is all gray from the stone that it is built from. The walls are decked with self portrait paintings of past kings and queens, weapons of all sorts, and even paintings of past royal pets. Personally, I think having pictures of yourself hanging on the walls so you could look at is pretty conceited. But then again, I think a lot of things. One thing I'm thinking of right now is why the hell will Jarvan not let go of me! Everywhere we walk, he stops to give me a brief description of it, and no matter how many times I plea, or beg for him to release me, he laughs my complaints off and drags me off to another stupid decoration in his home. Finally, we stop by a room that's a ways away from the main foyer and he releases me. I rub my neck as he opens the door and shows me inside. The room is fairly small, and only contains a bed, a chest to place your items, a lantern for some light, and a window.

"This is one of our guest rooms. It isn't much, but it's a place to sleep for now." I step inside and toss my bag onto the bed.

"It's fine. Back at Marcus's place, he gave me much more room than I'll ever use. This is perfect." Jarvan smiles.

"Glad you like it. I'm going to be sending some servants to come and get you prepared for dinner tonight, so make sure you're not masturbating or something when they get here."

"Get out."

"I'm being serious-"

"GET OUT!" I grab a dagger from my bag and toss it right beside Jarvan's head, where it embeds itself in the door. He chuckles nervously.

"Well I'll leave you to it!" He quickly shuts the door and rushes down the hall. I stand there and stare at the door for a bit. I exhale and throw myself onto the bed. It's nowhere near as comfortable as my room in Marcus's house, but a bed's a bed. Better than sleeping outside on nothing.

I look to the sunlight coming in through the window, and guess by the angle of the light that it's getting close to sunset. I roll off the bed and walk to the window and look outside. The fall of the sun mixed with rise of the moon creates an amazing purple and red sunset. I then scan the horizon, and since the palace is on the top of the highest hill in Demacia, I can practically look down at the whole city. Light knocking at my door snaps me into attention. I head to the door and open it, and immediately, a man and two women push right past me into my room. The women fall behind the...how do I say...extravagant man. The man holds one hand up and snaps his fingers, and immediately the two women begin to measure my body.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" The man walks up to me as he strokes his thin mustache.

"You are a handsome boy, but your clothes... _trop sombre à mon goût_." The man speaks in a language I've never heard of, so I assume it must be a common Demacian dialect.

"Umm...excuse me?" The man snaps his fingers once more and the women stop measuring me and whisper into the man's ears. All I hear are numbers, so I assume it's my sizes and what not.

"And your hair..._ donc pas à jour_. But do not worry, my boy, ze Prince asked for my assistance, and by ze honor of ze Laurent household, I shall do my best to assist you with your current disaster of a fashion sense!" Now, I've never been much of a fashion kind of guy, but the way this guy insults my style makes me want to strangle him with my clothes. Unfortunately, I've got to hold myself back due to my promise with Marcus. "So what do you say, are you not excited to be groomed by ze best designer in Demacia?" Before I can answer the two women seem to speak in disturbing unison.

"It's true!" "He's the best!" The man laughs at their compliments and claps his hands together. The women rush outside and roll in a chair along with a bag full of hair products.

"I'll...I'll pass on this. Clothes are fine but my hair...no." The man lightly pushes me into the chair.

"Nonsense! A man's hair is key to style!"

_'At least this man agrees with me.'_

He leans the chair back and has one of the women hold a bucket underneath my head. He then begins to rinse my hair with water. "Filthy, filthy, filthy. I shall accept this challenge, for my name is Fabien Laurent, eldest son of ze House of Laurent!" The two women seem to swoon as the man speaks highly of himself and begins to work on my hair. Please...someone kill me now.

**1 Hour Later of relentless hairstyling**

My head feels numb...so much scrubbing, and brushing, and combing, and clipping; I can't take it anymore! The chair finally leans back upwards. I open my eyes and the two women begin clapping as Fabien nods his head approvingly.

"Yes...it was indeed a challenge, Mr. Noxian, but I must say, you were one of my best projects indeed! Take a look." The woman on his right hands me a small mirror. I look into the mirror, expecting to look like a fool, but surprisingly...I think I actually look pretty good. It's shorter than what it was before, since I can no longer feel hair brushing along my ears or cheeks. The tip of my hair that would occasionally fall in my face is now lightly gelled to stick upward, while the rest of my hair is brushed forward. My sideburns are also practically gone along with no more hair on the back of my neck. Hell...I think this might actually be more useful with no hair falling in my face during missions. I look to Fabien and he smiles at me. "Good, yes, no?"

"I thought I was going to look like a fool, but I've got to hand it to you, this is not half bad."

"Of course, for I am Fabien Laurent, ze best designer in Demacia! I've given you ze simple short cut. Ze simple short style keeps ze hair a little longer on ze top, with ze sides and back, short. It's perfect for those who want a no-mess-no-fuss hairstyle, with ze freedom to play with ze look from time to time. A little hair gel and tussle of ze hair will create a spiked or bed head look in a few minutes."

"I don't use gel."

"Do not worry, a splash of water will be just fine." Fabien snaps his fingers and the women step outside, then roll in a row of clothes on hangers. "Now...time for my favorite part! Time to _choisir des vêtements_!" One of the girls yank the chair from beneath me, while the other rolls the clothes to Fabien's side. "We must use fabrics that will accent your muscular yet slim physique." Fabien begins to shuffle through the clothes. "Any preferences, or tastes? And please, do not tell me anything dark; in fact, if there's any black in the clothes you choose, I shall slap you across your silly Noxian face."

I growl in annoyance, but Fabien doesn't care. "Anything where I won't look like an idiot..." Fabien smiles.

"Letting me handle ze selection? _Garçon intelligent_." He shuffles through the clothes quickly, tossing out shirts and pants as he grunts in disgust. "No..._non_...gross!" He then stops suddenly and grins from ear to ear. The women walk over to him and once again in unison, compliment him.

"Great choice!" "As expected of you!" He pulls the garments out from the rack, and lays it out on the bed. I stare at the clothes confused. It's...it's exactly like Marcus's elite armor...except it's blue with white outlines.

"What do you think?" Fabien looks at me expectantly.

"It looks exactly like my armor." Fabien scoffs at me loudly.

"I assure you, it is nothing like that! These are all clothes designed by my apprentices!" I head to my bag and take out another pair of my clothes and spread it out next to Fabien's selection. The only difference between the two is literally the color scheme. He stands there stunned, then lets a single tear fall. "Father...ze Noxians have defeated your son..._pardonnez-moi s'il vous plaît_!" He claps his hands together and the two women remove everything from my room except for the clothes Fabien has selected for me. "Keep that... It will only succeed in taunting me for the rest of my life." He then steps out and leads the two women out of the hallway.

I shut the door after Fabien leaves, and decide to get dressed in my new outfit. Once it's on, it feels extremely familiar to me. I can tolerate these bright colors for the night, and thankfully Fabien didn't give me any of those stupid Demacian outfits decked out in armor plates and unnecessarily large shoulder pauldrons. Even though the clothes I have on are ones I'm used to, something feels off. I pat my waist and immediately know what's missing. I head over to my bag and pull out two daggers and stick them inside my waistline. I pat them down to make sure they're not loose and start feeling better. Nothing more reassuring than a blade by your side to keep you company. Light knocks on my door are the only warning I get before a servant opens the door.

"Prince Jarvan the Fourth, has requested your immediate presence in the dining hall for the banquet." The servant holds his arm out, motioning for me to follow him, so I comply. I'm actually looking forward to dinner since I haven't had a real meal since I left Noxus. My stomach begins to growl, and I start thinking; let's get these introductions over with so I can eat. The servant pushes open large wooden double doors and opens up a large and long room of the palace. Marble pillars along the sides of the room hold the ceiling up while the floor is decked in brilliant pearl-white tiles, except for a large red carpet going down the center of the room underneath a long table. On top of the table is a sight that I've never seen before. Meals that look as if they were cooked by the gods, sit in large proportions across the table. If I thought Marcus's home meals were abundant, then I guess everything's been a lie to me so far.

"Talon! You look good!" I turn around and notice Jarvan walking towards me. He wraps one arm around my neck like he normally does, and begins to practically strangle me as he drags me across the dining hall. He seems to be in a panic. "Alright, so my father is currently speaking with some nobles, but he's still curious about you. Don't do anything stupid when we're talking to him!" Jarvan begins leading me to a small group of people talking to each other, but one of them really stands out. He's an older man with graying hair that falls to his shoulders and a thick, scruffy beard. A large scar across his right cheek sticks out through his facial hair, and he easily towers over the nobles he speaks to. He spots Jarvan and pushes past the people in his group and walks right to us. Jarvan releases me and seems to falter as he comes face to face with the man. "H-hello, father." Oh...shit. I did not expect the King of Demacia to look like a fucking bear!

"Hello, my son. And who would this be?" He looks to me, and my body immediately goes stiff. The man's gaze is intimidating for sure.

"This...this is...this is..." Jarvan can't seem to get his words right so I finish his sentence.

"Talon." The king raises his brow and looks down on me.

"You're the Noxian I'm guessing?" A small crowd of nobles surround the king's harsh interrogation of Jarvan and I.

"Yes." Whispers fill the air at the mention of myself being a Noxian. The king raises a single hand, silencing the room.

"Tell me...tell me your honest opinion of Demacia." All eyes are on me. I swallow saliva that has built in my throat thanks to this intense pressure.

"My honest opinion?" The king nods. "Well...your son managed to leave me behind, forcing me to find my way around the city, so that sucked. And I guess the things I'm able to get away with in Noxus, like climbing onto roofs are things that'll get you in trouble. And finally after being brought to the palace not so long ago, I was assaulted under the facade of being groomed by a needlessly extravagant man and some very creepy women. So, I guess my opinion on Demacia as a whole would be...odd." The room is silent. Only the king's breathing can be heard, and it soon gets heavier with each breath. I begin to wonder if I may have upset him. The king reaches an arm out and places it on my shoulder. Surprisingly, he begins to smile through his thick beard. He then begins to softly chuckle. And soon, it breaks out into full on laughter. Like father, like son, the king wraps his arm around my neck and buddies me up next to him.

"I always ask people that stupid question of their opinion on Demacia. And I think you're the first one who has ever actually gave me an honest opinion." I look to Jarvan as his father strangles me, and he gives me a thumbs up and a smile. "I thought you were going to tell me the standard, 'lovely', or 'beautiful', or my personal favorite, 'it's the greatest place in the world'." His laughter gets louder and soon people around him, just to kiss his ass I'm assuming, fake their laughter as well.

"Well...it's cleaner than Noxus. But that's about all I experienced so far." His laughter slowly dies down and he attempts to get control of himself.

"Explain to me, Talon. How in the world did my son manage to lose you? This would probably explain why he kept trying to stall me from meeting you!"

"I'm not sure. One minute I was asleep in the back of a carriage, the next I was being poked in the face by some simpleton down at one of the distribution centers." The king begins to laugh again. I'm honestly not even trying to be amusing, nor do I think my story even is amusing.

"So, tell me boy, then what happened!" The king leads me to the massive dining table.

"Well...a lot happened. I went outside and decided to navigate the city through the roofs, and some guards tried to stop me. I told them I needed to come to the palace, but they didn't believe me. I didn't feel like stopping to talk to them, so I tried to lose them. Unfortunately, I found myself surrounded. I'm not sure how or why, but I sat on the floor thinking I was done for, when the guards ran right past me as if I wasn't there."

"Sounds like you had quite the experience out there!" Servants quickly rush over and pull chairs out for the king and myself. The king wipes the small tears of laughter from under his eyes away. "That's good stuff...good stuff." He clears his throat and his expression becomes more serious. "So, my son has informed me that you'll be helping us deal with our gang problem. If my son believes that you can singlehandedly do it, then maybe I'd love to see your skills." The people surrounding the king gasp, but I smile slyly.

"Is that a challenge?" The king chuckles.

"I'm far too old for combat. My fighting days are over, so I'm sadly stuck to desk work." A servant pours the king a large glass of wine. In practically one massive gulp, he drains his cup. "However, I'm sure the House of Laurent has some members willing to take on someone rumored to be a challenge." House of Laurent? As in Fabien Laurent's family?

"Who are the Laurents?"The people at the table seem to chuckle at my unknowing, but the king silences them. Jarvan then leans over from his seat next to his father.

"The Laurents are some of the best swordsmen in Demacia. Hell, maybe even all of Runeterra!"

"Then why in the hell was Fabien Laurent the one who got me all groomed up..." Jarvan rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"Well...it's a long story, but don't think of him as weak. Fabien is probably the only duelist in the House of Laurent that can go against the current patriarch; his father. Legend has it, Fabien enjoyed design and styling more than dueling, but his father despised it. Fabien then discovered a secret against his father, and used it as blackmail to get him to financially support Fabien through fashion school." Jarvan takes a sip of his wine. "Or so I heard."

"Fabien...a duelist." Jarvan nods, so I laugh. "I don't believe you." Jarvan shrugs.

"You don't have to, but it's true." The sound of clinking plates catches my attention. An army of servants comes from the kitchen bearing utensils and plates and napkins; handing one of everything to everyone at the table. The servants then begin to serve the food that was sitting on the center of the table. My stomach begins to rumble, and my mouth begins to salivate. I stare the servant, who has come to place food on my plate, down like a starving wolf. As soon as he finishes, I immediately grab my fork and knife and dig into the large portion of steak I was given. One bite and I'm in heaven! Medium-rare with a sweet, yet savory kick of spice. I turn my attention to the baked potato on my plate, but it's no ordinary potato. It's a mixture of half-mashed, half-baked potato. I stick my fork into the top and notice that it has a buttery crust to protect the flavor on the inside. I then begin to devour that as well.

I'm assuming that I was eating way too greedily, cause I hear very bubbly laughter coming from a few seats down the table; directed towards me. I look, and notice nothing out of the ordinary, so I begin to continue my feasting. I stuff my face full of the last of my steak, when I hear a servant talk to me.

"Would you like some apple pie for desert?" I turn to him, cheeks stuffed with steak and answer him.

"Yessh, pleassh." I then swallow my food, and hear more of the bubbly laughter. I look once more, and notice a small glimpse of pure gold. But as quickly as it appears, it vanishes. A plate being placed down in front of me causes me to shake the thoughts of gold out of my mind. The sight of what's on the plate nearly makes me tear up. Apples covered in cinnamon, baked into a pie! Holy shit, yes! I grab my fork and send myself into an apple induced nirvana.

**10 minutes later**

I stumble outside to a nearby balcony to get some fresh air, and with each step I take, the more I feel like I'm going to vomit. I hang my head over the railing of the balcony and let the cool night breeze calm me down.

_'Gluttony is a sin.'_

"Shut up."

_'How shameful, to eat all that food just to puke it all up.'_

"I couldn't help myself...I was so hungry."

My inner self lightly chuckles. _'Yes of course. Also be aware that you're no longer alone.'_

With that, he goes silent. I turn around and look but find nothing there, so I lean my head back down on the railing.

"Talking to yourself, huh. I do that sometimes as well." The sudden voice startles me, so I turn to look and find a girl standing next to me along the railing. I'm taken back by her beautiful golden hair, and her silky white skin. She's wearing an elegant blue dress that goes down to her knees, finished with lightly elevated dress shoes and long white knee socks. I look back and forth, trying to figure out how she could have escape my senses. The girl then turns to me and examines me as well. I step back since I feel a bit uncomfortable. "Oh, so you can check me out, but when someone looks at you it's a crime?" I lightly grunt in annoyance, but the girl just laughs the same bubbly laughter I was hearing earlier at the table. "I'm just teasing!" As I take one step back, she takes a step forward. Odd, maybe it was just a coincidence. I take another step back, but once again she steps forward. "That's strange. You were talking up a storm when you were with the king and prince, but you seem really shy!" So, not only was this girl watching me at the table, but also before I even sat down. I take two steps back, but she takes two steps forward. I then decide to just keep on backing up, so she puts her hands innocently behind her back and starts walking forward, keeping a smile on her face. I then bump into a wall I didn't notice, so the girl stops in front of me. I look down at her and my heart begins to feel nervous. But...why. I mean yeah, she's beautiful, but I don't know her.

_'Just like when you're with Quinn, Riven, Kat, or Cassie.' _Oh god, please don't tell me there's going to be another girl like them. I finally decide to speak up.

"What...what do you want." The girl smiles and it makes my heart skip a beat.

"I'm not sure. I took one look at you and thought you were interesting."


	25. The Demacian Palace (continued)

"Interesting...?" The girl nods.

"It's not every day a boy my age comes around to high class parties. Let alone one who's from Noxus..." She seems to emphasize Noxus as she tilts her head and continues her inspection of me. She then makes a satisfied 'hmm' sound. "I thought Noxians were all big and scary."

"Just how brainwashed are Demacians..." The girl giggles.

"I wouldn't say brainwashed, but rather...misinformed." The girl then moves her hands away from her back and in front of her, showing off some familiar looking daggers. I pat my waist and go into a panic for a moment. "These are nice. I'm sorry, I was just so curious." The girl holds her hands out, handing me my daggers back. I want to be angry at her, but as a skilled thief myself, I've got to say I'm rather impressed. I stuff my daggers back into my waistline and let out a sigh of relief.

"Well...I'm going back inside." I turn to leave but I can feel the girl's stare. I shudder slightly as I can feel her gaze on the back of my head.

"Wait, Talon!" I stop right where I'm standing. I'm pretty sure I never told her my name. I turn around and watch as she makes her way to me. "The name's Luxanna, but everyone calls me Lux."

"Yeah...how did you know-"

"Well, I was dancing on the roof of the palace..." what an odd place to dance, "when I noticed Prince Jarvan walking in with you around his arms. Keep in mind, the Prince maybe has like two friends...max, them being my brother and Shyvana. You were neither of them, so I may have sort of followed you a bit." I slowly start to back up, just enough to get some distance, but also slow enough for her to not notice. "Anyways, that's about it!"

"Uh-huh. I see..." I turn around and begin to head back inside. "Great chat." I open the door back to the dining hall, and step inside. Jarvan seems to notice me step inside and walks over to me.

"Thank god I found you, Talon!"

"Why, is there a problem?" Jarvan takes a sip from his wine glass.

"Yeah, I'm bored of talking to these cowardly nobles! I need to converse with someone who's been in the shit!" His words sound a bit slurred, and his breath reeks of wine. "So, what were you up to?"

"Nothing much. Apparently I was being stalked since I got to the palace by some girl named Luxanna." Jarvan begins to laugh.

"Yeah, she does that kind of stuff..."

"You know her?" Jarvan's smile slightly falters, and this time he kills his whole glass of wine in one go.

"Yeah...my parents and the Crownguards have set us up for marriage when she turns eighteen." Quinn's sad face pops into my mind as Jarvan tells me of this same thing she told me. "She's a nice girl and all...but I don't love her like that. At most she's the sister to my friend." He lifts his cup to his mouth, but then tosses it away when he notices it's emptiness. His mouth curls for a half smile. "You know, that's the thing about royalty. Your life is pretty much planned out for you. That's why I left the palace for a while, a few years back. That's also when I met..." He laughs and then rubs his chin. "That's when I met Shyvana." He lightly blushes as he thinks about the dragon woman, but then looks at me and nervously coughs. "Sorry for telling you about all my problems, I'm kind of buzzed, so I'm going to call it a night right here." Jarvan turns to the exit as he waves his goodbye.

_'Now that's a man with problems.'_

"No kidding..." I start to feel sorry for Jarvan. It's obvious he's in love with Shyvana, but he's engaged. This is part of the reason I don't want anything to do with feelings like that. All that waits is heartbreak.

_'Except you're the one who is breaking the hearts.'_

"It's still heartbreak, even if it isn't mine."

"Jeez, you must be pretty lonely if you keep on talking to yourself." The obnoxious blonde girl named Lux seems to appear from nowhere by my side. "I overheard you and Jarvan, and I'm glad we both think the same way." Lux keeps a smile on her face, but her words sound...hurt? "He's a good guy, but just not for me. Unfortunately, we aren't the ones who can make that decision."

"But it's your life." She giggles.

"Just like Jarvan said, our lives are pretty much planned out for us." Lux grabs my hand and begins to lead me to a door. "I don't like this topic, so let's do something fun!"

"F-fun?" Oh God, did I just stutter my words? But this could be very misleading...a girl asking for fun while yanking me off to God knows where.

"Not that kind you dork! Let's have a race!" She opens the door in front of us, revealing a large set of stairs heading down to the palace gardens.

"I'd rather not."

"Oh come on, afraid you're going to lose?" Such a frustrating person...

"No, I just don't want to race." She scoffs.

"Sounds like you're scared!"

"I'm not..." My blood begins to boil, but I try and keep my cool.

"What's that?" She raises her hand to her hear. "All I'm hearing is you being scared of racing me." Okay...just breathe, Talon.

"I'm not a runner..."

"Neither am I, but I'm not afraid of a little challenge!" She crosses her arms across her chest. "So, you still going to keep coming up with excuses? Are you that scared?" Fuck it...

"Fine! Whatever, let's get your stupid fucking race over with!" Lux smiles slyly. She walks to a path of the garden where it's just a long narrow walkway, with roses on the side.

"The rules are simple. First one to the end, wins. However..." Lux walks up to me, and pokes me in the chest, "the loser has to do anything the winner says." I push her finger off of me. "Do you agree?"

"I don't know about anything..." Lux laughs.

"Think you're going to lose already?" I growl in annoyance.

"Fuck it, fine. I accept!" I get into a running position waiting for Lux's signal. I look to her and notice her just standing there. I smirk to myself; I'm going to win, and tell this girl to leave me alone.

"Alright ready...get set..." I shift my right foot further back so I can push off of it for more speed, "and...GO!" I launch my body forward but for some reason my feet don't want to move, so I land clumsily on my stomach. I look forward as Lux calmly strolls to end of the pathway. I look to my feet and notice an odd ray of light that's binding my ankles together. I reach for it and attempt to break it, but it feels solid. The girl's bubbly laughter begins to echo in my ears. I look to her as she stands at the end of the path. She then begins to walk over to me with a grin from ear to ear. She bends over and breaks the light binding with a squeeze of her hand. "Looks like I win."

"What the hell was that..."

"Simple light magic." Her smile fades away and she looks right into my eyes. "A deal's a deal, correct?" I sigh loudly and nod. Her smile then returns to her face. "Alright, what I want you to do is really simple." I stand up and dust myself off. "Pretend to be my boyfriend for tomorrow." I look at her confused, and blink my eyes a few times.

"Umm...what."

"It's just as I said. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend." She then steps close to me and leans into my face. "You're not going to back out on a deal, are you?"

"No, I'm just...just...why _that_." Lux shrugs her shoulders.

"Why not? I just need you to pretend for one day, deal?"

"I guess..." Lux jumps up happily while giggling her mind shattering laugh.

"Thanks a lot, Talon!" A bright light that blinds me momentarily fills the garden. "Meet me outside of the palace gates at nine 'o' clock in the morning!" The light disappears, and with it, Lux.

* * *

**Yes, it's a real short chapter. I've got writer's block right now so it may take a while for the next full chapter, so I decided to just upload what I have so far. If you lovely readers want to help me out, leave a review or send me a message! Thanks for reading, and sorry!**


	26. Demacian Drug Party - Part One

The light of a Demacian sunrise momentarily blinds me as I wake up. I sit up and stretch my arms above my head and just stare at the wall.

God damn it...

I can't believe of all the things that Lux girl wanted from me, it was a date. Hopefully she's prepared to be stood up, cause last thing I want to do is make a fool of myself with a sappy date. I've seen the things girls want out of dates in those magazines Cassie would read.

They want to go to dinner, they want to see a movie, they want to go to dinner AND see a movie.

I feel bad for any guy that puts up with that shit. Besides, I don't even have time to mess around with dates and what not. I've come to Demacia to aid Prince Jarvan, not to get dragged around by foolish girls.

I kick my legs off the bed and head for the bathroom to ready myself for the day. As I brush my teeth, a light knock on the door elicits my muddled response.

"Yessh?" I say it so sloppily thanks to the toothbrush in my mouth. Without warning, a servant of the palace steps inside.

"Prince Jarvan demands your immediate presence at breakfast." I step back into the bathroom and wash my mouth out. Once I'm finished, the servant beckons for me to follow him. As we step out into the hall, the aroma of food enters my nostrils. "Just follow me to the banquet hall. Prince Jarvan, along with a few of his acquaintances, are there waiting for you." The servant walks quickly and seems to not care that I'm falling behind. We finally reach the large double doors of the banquet hall, and the servant motions for me to push it open. Once it's open, this room seems so empty as compared to last night's party. The only people at the table are at the far end. I can spot Jarvan and Shyvana sitting next to each other, along with a very muscular man I don't know sitting next to...Lux. I want to turn back, but Jarvan stands up and calls out to me. I sigh and begin to head over to the seat he's pushed out next to him.

"Morning, Talon!" I sit down and notice that a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon has already been set up for myself.

"Hey." Is all I say as I grab a fork and dig in to the food. The muscular man sitting across from me stands up angrily and slams his hands down onto the table.

"You shall address the Prince with respect you filthy Noxian!" I look up to the man and scowl, but I continue eating. Jarvan seems to speak for me as he stands up.

"Calm down, Garen. Talon's a man of action, not words." As I chew, I look up to Jarvan and give him a thumbs up, then I look down to my food and continue eating. "And besides, Garen. This isn't just any Noxian."

The man named Garen slowly sinks back into his seat. "What are you talking about, Jarvan?"

Jarvan chuckles as he wraps an arm around my shoulder. I look at him funny and remove his arm off me. "Talon here lives with General DuCouteau." Garen brings his hand to his chin and begins to rub it in thought.

"So that means..."

"That's right, he lives with Katarina." Garen immediately jumps out of his chair and stares me down with murder in his eyes.

"What is your relationship with my woman!" I choke on my food as he refers to Kat as 'my woman'.

"Your...woman?"

"That's right, Noxian! We're in love, and we're going to get married, and have two boys and a sweet little girl and live in a nice house out in the Demacian countryside!" Jarvan, Lux, and Shyvana all laugh at the same time. Lux looks up to Garen and pulls him back down into his chair. She then turns to me and wipes the tears from laughing so hard out of her eyes.

"Garen met Katarina at a diplomatic party in Piltover. It's a one sided love." Then Jarvan interrupts as his laughing dies down.

"I'm not even sure how you can say Katarina loves you when she stabbed you for being too weird." Jarvan then continues laughing.

I look to Garen and smirk. "She stabbed you? Sounds like her." I wipe my mouth off of any food remnants and toss it onto my empty plate. Garen dramatically tosses his hair to the side.

"As her dagger went into my shoulder, it was like Cupid shooting me with an arrow!" I nod my head from side to side. This fool is blinded by love.

Lux's bubbly laughter silences the table. She looks to me and smiles. "So, you ready for our date Talon?" Before I can even retort, an iron like grip around my throat lifts me from my seat and slams me onto the table. I look up into Garen's eyes, which are filled with murder. Lux is wrapped around his neck, yelling for him to stop, but she's like an ant attacking a giant.

"You already live with my beautiful kitty Kat! But you're after my little Lux, too! I'll kill you right here!" Shyvana, Jarvan, and Lux are all attempting to get him off of me, but they can't seem to beat this brute's anger induced strength. As the world begins to fade to black, I desperately reach around the table for anything to help me. I feel the cold steel of something metallic in my hand, and without thinking, I send it into this oaf's right arm. He loosens his grip due to the pain of a fork entering his meaty arm, so I squirm out and send a kick straight into his face. He falls backward with the trio of Demacians still on his back; smashing them all beneath him. He stands back up and lunges onto the table, tackling me to the floor. I send a flurry of punches to his face, dazing him momentarily, so I use it to my advantage and push him off me and stand myself up. Garen spits a small amount of blood from out of his mouth and comes at me once more. I step to the side and send a roundhouse kick to his gut, but he reacts in time and grabs my leg and swings me around. When he lets go, I'm sent flying, but I roll and attempt to land on my feet. I hit the floor and nearly fall over, so I use my hands to catch myself. Garen and I stare at each other, and simultaneously bolt in each other's direction. However, we both fall to our asses when we run into an invisible brick wall. I stand up and notice that I'm boxed in a prison of light, same with Garen.

Garen begins to yell out to Lux. "Let me go! You're pure Lux! I won't let this Noxian taint you!"

Jarvan begins to raise his voice. "Calm down! It's not a real date!" Garen and I both look equally confused. "Luxanna is just calling their mission a date to tease Talon." Garen seems to calm down, so Lux releases us from our binding.

"Oh thank goodness...so what's their mission?" Jarvan rubs his arm nervously.

"Well...Talon and Lux are going to infiltrate a gang party..." he nervously chuckles, "under the guise of boyfriend and girlfriend..." Garen's breathing becomes heavy, and he turns his attention to me.

"JUSTICE!" He tries to charge at me, but Shyvana quickly punches him in the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. She then throws him over her shoulders and begins to walk out.

"You can go over the details with them. I'll dispose of Garen in the meantime." Jarvan sighs and heads to his chair.

"Well, let's go over the plan, shall we?" I sit down while massaging my neck.

"I've got one question." Jarvan looks to me. "Why am I going to be working with this girl?" He begins to laugh lightly.

"Trust me when I say this; Luxanna is pretty good at jobs that require stealth." I feel Lux's bright smile being sent in my direction, so I shudder imagining that she's just watching me.

"As long as she doesn't get me killed..." Lux cheers and punches me in my arm.

"Glad you're excited to work with me, partner!" I rub my arm and scowl.

"I wouldn't say excited, but rather..."

"Glad to work with me, yes I know!" I take a deep breath and think of the consequences that would happen if I took a knife off the table and slit her throat right now.

"So, what's this mission about?"

Jarvan clears his throat. "One of the gangs here in Demacia are throwing a party for young adults and high school teens saying it's a celebration for the recent victory of a soccer match between two rival high schools; Silithin Academy, and Tunt High School. The reality of the situation is it's actually an operation to sell the drug ecstasy to our nation's youth." Jarvan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of folded photos. He unfolds them and spreads them out on the table for Lux and I to look at. Jarvan then points to a few of the photos on the corner. "These photos here are the few types of ecstasy the guards have raided from these gangsters. They mostly come in blue with a small happy face on them." Jarvan then points to another few photos showing people under the effects of the drug. "Hyper activity, enhanced senses, increased heartbeat, dilated pupils, and losing your sense of reality are all common symptoms. At first, the drug seems fun, but it's actually a mixture of chemicals like bleach, ammonia, and laundry detergent mixed in a way to mess with your brain's senses. It only takes one to either kill you or mentally damage you for life." As I look at the photos, one stands out among the rest. I lift it up from the pile and can tell that it's definitely a lifeless corpse. A girl that looks about my age is covered in a mixture of her own vomit and blood.

Drug problems in Demacia? That's rather surprising. Drugs are an everyday thing for the people in the slums, it was the only other option besides death to escape from the reality of our shitty situation. I personally have never dabbled down that escape route, but I've thought about it.

I place the photos down and sigh loudly. "So, what's the plan?"

"You two go to said party, find the dealer, and track down the supplier." Jarvan leans back in his chair and smiles. "Simple enough, right?"

"Sounds pretty simple-"

"Well don't get ahead of yourself!" Jarvan quickly stands up and points a finger at me.

"Then why the fuck would you ask if it was simple enough?"

"I'm just messing with you." He sits back down and kicks his feet onto the table. "Party starts at nine p.m. tonight, so be ready before then." He waves his hands to dismiss Lux and I, but before we leave, he calls out to us once more. "Also, Talon. I don't want to hear any reports about the deaths of innocent bystanders. You got it?"

I look at Jarvan and smirk, then begin heading to the door. "Come on Jarvan...just who do you think I am?"

* * *

**What's this! The1Guy is actually updating his story?**

**Hehe yeah, bruh! Yeah I am!**

**It's pretty short, but I feel bad not updating in...a long time, so I decided to just upload what I've done so far. The next chapter should come out relatively soon, and I think it's going to be fun! **

**Lux/Talon crime fighting duo? Hella fun!**


	27. Demacian Drug Party - Part Two

**8:30 p.m.**

Thirty minutes until my first mission here in Demacia begins. I'm sitting on my bed just staring at the floor right now. I had the misfortune of having another encounter with Fabien and the robot like women. So, needless to say, I'm pretty traumatized right now.

I look like a damn fool. A plain white t-shirt that's covered with a blue plaid button-up, left unbuttoned, along with blue jeans and a leather belt to hold it all together. I look like your average teenage boy, and God do I hate it. The only thing making me feel at ease are my blades I have strapped behind my back. Jarvan says to use them only in an emergency...

Emergency my ass! As long as Luxanna doesn't get in my way, I'm cutting down everyone who crosses me tonight. Not even the children will be safe.

_'I think you should be more focused on finding the drug supplier. You saw those photos, they're extremely dangerous to people!" _

"It's not my fault they're dumb enough to do that to themselves."

_'But it will be your fault if they continue being able to get their hands on this stuff. You and I both know that failure is never an option, no matter the job.'_

I sit in silence. My inner self is right...I can't let my bloodlust get in the way of my mission's success. As much as I want to go and start a fight with a group of idiots, that's not my top priority.

I look to the door as a sudden knock hits my door. Jarvan then steps inside, followed by Lux.

"You ready to go?"

I take another look at myself in the mirror and sigh. "As ready as I'll ever be..."

"Oh, cheer up! You don't look that bad." Lux's attempt at making me feel better doesn't work. Her blue party dress just suits her so well while this...stuff that I'm wearing looks weird on me.

"Let's just get this night over with." I push past them and head outside where a carriage is waiting for Lux and I. We both get inside, and Jarvan gives us a final farewell. Lux sits directly across from me, smiling and staring. To keep my mind off of her, I start playing with my blades by twirling them in between my fingers. Every now and then, I look up at Lux only to find her continuing to stare at me, so I decide to break the silence.

"Is there..." Lux quickly jumps onto my side of the carriage and leans close to me, "umm, is there a reason why..." she leans closer, so I start backing against the walls of the carriage, "why we're pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend...?" She moves away from and gives me my personal space back. I sit up and exhale.

"Yeah."

"And that reason is...?"

"I wanted to annoy Garen."

"Well, he got pretty annoyed." My mind begins to show memories of me being strangled on the table by that giant brute.

"Sorry about that...I didn't think he'd react that crazily."

"It's fine. If you want to make it up to me though, do me one small thing for me tonight..." Lux looks intently into my eyes, "stay out of my way." I quickly look away from Lux and direct my attention out of the window.

Let's just get this night over with.

* * *

**Meanwhile in Noxus, Noxian High Command**

"...and furthermore, while I do believe the Master Tactician of Noxus is a great leader and mastermind, I do feel he's more suited for the position he currently holds." Marcus gets out of his chair and walks over to a large young man who seems to pay no interest to this meeting. He then places one hand on the man's shoulder, and immediately the man snaps into attention. "However, I believe that Keiran here, son of Boram Darkwill is the perfect candidate to preserve the Noxian ideals of strength above all. While he may not be the smartest in the bunch..."

"Watch it, DuCouteau!"

"Hush, boy!" Marcus clears his throat as all eyes in the meeting room falls onto him. "As I was saying, his strength cannot be matched by any of those in the Noxian military-"

"I will have to boldly decline that statement, Marcus." Marcus pans his field of vision to the corner of the room where the light barely reaches. The darkness covers the face of the man, but everyone knows who he is by the massive demon raven, Beatrice, sitting upon his shoulder. "You think you're the only one here with a protégé?" Jericho Swain laughs. "Stand tall, Darius!" From the darkness of the room, a hulking figure steps into the light. As he steps into the view of the room, Keiran stands up quickly.

"General Swain, you dare say this unknown man has me beat in terms of strength?"

"My dear boy, I don't say that. I know it." Keiran reaches for the sword in his sheath, but Marcus grabs his shoulders roughly and whispers into his ear.

"Don't fall for it. He wants you to become angry." Keiran slowly moves his hand away from his sword and lowers himself into his chair. "If you want to beat Jericho, you simply must not play his game! He's the Master Tactician for a reason!"

Jericho reaches for his cane and lifts himself up from his chair. He then hobbles to the front of the room.

"My dear colleagues, if General DuCouteau truly believes that strength above all is essential to our nation's well being, then it would only be fair that the candidate for Grand General of Noxus should boldly take on anyone who challenges his might. Wouldn't you all agree?" As whispers fills the room, Marcus's eye begins to twitch in frustration. Keiran and his big mouth have seem to made him walk right into Jericho's trap. Before Marcus can retort, Keiran once again stands up.

"No one can oppose me! If I must defeat this..." Keiran looks to Darius, but Darius hardly acknowledges him causing Keiran to become angrier, "this nobody to prove my strength, then so be it!"

Marcus slaps his forehead and decides to sit back down. He's not sure what Jericho has planned, but the smirk on his face tells him that Keiran did exactly what he wanted him to do.

"So be it. Darius!" Darius straightens his body up, and steps into parade rest. "How does a duel one week from today against Keiran Darkwill inside the Fleshing Arena sound?" A small smile on Darius's face unnerves Marcus. No one should be happy about stepping into the Fleshing!

"If that's what you wish for me to do, then so be it."

"And what do you say, Keiran?" Keiran laughs cockily and sits back down with his arms wrapped across his chest.

"I'll take on any challenge, anytime, and anywhere!"

Jericho motions for Darius as he heads to the door. "Then it is settled. One week from today, the Fleshing Arena." Darius opens the door for Jericho and follows him outside.

Marcus rubs his temples. "Do you...do you ever fucking think before you speak, Keiran?"

"It's impossible for me to lose, DuCouteau. I'm the best in the military these days!"

"You don't even know who this Darius guy is, and yet you went ahead and challenged him blindly!" Marcus stands up and realizes people are still here for the meeting. "Umm...this meeting is adjourned till next week..." Marcus sighs, "at the Fleshing Arena...everyone be there."

* * *

**Back in Demacia**

The carriage stops down the street from the house we intend to go into, and already, I can hear the loud music. As we step out, the carriage driver says to just dial Jarvan for a pick up when we complete our mission. Once that's done, he snaps the reins and heads off into the night.

Without telling me, Lux begins to walk off on her own. I was about to tell her to wait up, but then I remember, I told her to stay out of my way tonight. Maybe...maybe that was a bit rude of me. She is my partner in this mission.

But, then again, I always work alone. So why do I feel bad about telling Lux to leave me be? She stops in front of me, so out of reflex, I reach out forward and grab onto her shoulders.

"Not even inside the party yet, and you're feeling me up already?" I quickly remove my hands as she looks back. "Your hands are really cold, Talon."

"So?"

Lux startles me as the warmth of her hand overcomes the iciness of my hand. She then continues to surprise me as she brings my hand up to her cheek and rests it there.

"I'm sorry if I annoy you, Talon. Jarvan told me about your life in Noxus...how you were always alone, how you had to kill and steal to survive. How only until relatively recently you had a home to call your own, but then had to leave due to political problems..." A single tear falls from Lux's eyes as she smiles warmly. "It breaks my heart that you had to go through all of that...so I thought that maybe you needed a friend." I don't know why, but as she speaks to me, I use the thumb of my hand on her cheek to wipe her tear away. "Instead I might have come off as annoying, and clingy...and I'm sorry. I understand why you would want me to stay away from you tonight-"

"You're wrong." Lux looks up to me, just as confused as I am with myself. "I'm just...I'm just used to working by myself." Okay...that's kind of a lie. She bugs the shit out of me, but I draw the line whenever a pretty girl cries.

What the fuck am I thinking! God damn it, why is beauty my one fucking weakness?

"So...so does that mean we can work together?" She looks up to me with begging eyes. I decide to just give into her wishes.

"Yeah...just don't get me killed." Lux grabs both of my hands and begins to screech happily while jumping up and down. The ear shattering noise of a teenage girl who's happy...how unpleasantly nostalgic.

"I promise! We're going to kill them all!"

I choke on my saliva in surprise. "W-what?"

"Those bastards are bringing drugs into our city and selling them to kids. The only appropriate punishment is death." I can't help but begin smiling as my grip on Lux's hand gets tighter and tighter. "Are you okay, Talon? You're shaking." I am...I really am. It's a mixture of happiness and excitement.

Before I speak, I lightly laugh. "W-w-we're going...to kill them all?"

Lux nods. "That's what I said."

I decide that standing out here and talking is a waste of my time. So without thinking, I hold onto Lux's hand and begin running to the house party. I can tell we're getting closer as the lights get brighter, and the music gets louder. However, over all of that, I can hear Lux's bubbly laughter.

"T-Talon you passed the house!" Lux says it while giggling. I stop and turn back and head to the front door of the home where people are sitting outside, intoxicated. I honestly got lost in Lux's laughter. It's so hypnotic.

As we head to the door, a trio of boys who looks around our age stops us. "Silithin or Tunt?"

"Silithin." Lux answers for us and the boys begin to cheer.

"Damn straight!" "Fuck Tunt cunts!" "Yeah buddy!" They then open the door for us as they chant 'Silithin' over and over. Once inside, the bass from the music hits Lux and I like a shockwave. Kids our age laughing, dancing, drinking, smoking, and kissing surround us. I feel a tug on my shirt sleeve, and I look down at Lux. Her lips are moving but I can't hear her over the music, so she leans up into my ear.

"We should split up and meet back here in thirty minutes. Try and get as much information as you can on who the dealer is." She gets back onto her feet, so I nod to her. We will be able to cover more ground if Lux and I try and find the dealer on our own. She nods her agreement as well and runs off into the crowd of dancers.

As Lux leaves my view, the feeling of being surrounded by strangers begins to sink in. I begin to feel every little bump from a person walking by me, every little thump from the music, and hear every little whisper. It then becomes hard to breathe. It...it feels like I'm choking. I take a deep breath and look around quickly. I notice a set of stairs that heads to the second floor where it looks like there's less people. I begin to push my way through the crowd and ascend to the second floor. The lights in the hallway are off, so it's pitch black, which is fine by me. I lean onto the wall and then sit on the floor and get my breathing right.

God...what is wrong with me. I felt as if the crowd was killing me from the inside... I close my eyes and try to get my breathing on track. Inhale...exhale. Inhale...exhale. Inhale...exhale.

That's good... As I get my breathing under control, I start to get control over my body again. The music and other sounds of the party begins to echo in my ear once again, and my head doesn't feel light anymore. I then begin to wonder...where do I even start looking? I'm pretty sure just walking up to people and asking for drugs is a major red flag.

The sound of a door shutting inside the hallway catches my attention. I look and notice a brunette haired girl walking towards me.

"No one's allowed up here. Party's downstairs."

"I'm just catching my breath." She starts to look at me funny.

"You look kind of anxious. Are crowds not your thing?"

"Not at all." She smiles kindly and reaches into her pocket. She then pulls out a pill and sticks her hand out.

"Here, it's an anti-anxiety pill." I take it from her hand and begin to inspect it. There's no designs on it, no color, and nothing labeled on it.

"What does it do?"

"It's a no brainer on what it does, it reduces your anxiety!"

"My mother always told me not to accept things from strangers." I say it sarcastically as I give the pill back to her.

"Fine, you want some water instead?" She opens the door across from me and comes out with a water bottle. It has no labeling on it, so I assume it's not a name brand.

"Thanks." I take it from her hand and begin to drink up. It then clicks into my mind that the bottle was already opened. I drop the bottle on the floor as the room begins to spin. I look at the girl as she stands there giggling. "What...what the fuck?"

"You're going to be my test dummy for this new version of 'E' that my friends and I made! And we're going to start by having fun, cutie!" The world becomes tunneled and all the noise becomes faint. It feels almost as if I'm in a dream. I try to speak but I can tell that my words are slurred. My knees become weak and give out, but I'm caught by my assailant. She begins to drag me into the room across from where I was sitting and lays me down on the bed. I can only watch as she locks the door behind us and straddles my waist. "The pink 'E' I took has me feeling all...frisky. Luckily I found such a cute boy who was dumb enough to accept my drink..." She lifts my shirt up and smiles as she looks down at my body. "So muscular...I want it to be all mine!" She leans down and begins to lick from my belly button all the way to the top of my chest. As much as I don't want this to happen, I can't help but say it feels really good. She leans up from my body and comes back down onto my lips and begins to give me a sloppy kiss as she places one hand down her pants. It's hard for me to breathe with her lips pressed against my face, so the only time I'm allowed some air is when she comes up to moan in pleasure. She then sits up and reaches for my belt buckle and begins to tug.

Fuck me, I need to stop this now... I'm not going to lie, I have wanted to do this, but just...just not like this...

Not like this...

Not...like...THIS!

I struggle to reach under my hip, and I grab onto one of my blades and jam it into her neck. Her body immediately becomes stiff, and her expression blanks out as blood begins to pour out from her wound and spills onto my clothes. Once I can no longer feel a pulse in her neck, I remove my blade and shove her off of me and just watch as she unceremoniously falls to the floor.

The adrenaline from ending this rapists life combined with this drug's effects makes me feel so...good. I can't control it, but I begin to grin from ear to ear as I reach for my second blade...one in each hand. Perfect...

Let the rampage _begin_!

* * *

**Have we hit M rating yet...? **

**Naaaaah.**

**I'm pretty sure I'm pushing it though.**


	28. Demacian Drug Party - Part Three

My body is tingling...

My head is spinning...

Reality has turned into nothing but a mere dream...

I've lost all control, and I don't give two shits about whether or not this mission is a success or not. I turn back before I leave the room and just stare at my would be rapist as the blood pools beneath her limp body. For some reason, I can see my reflection in her blood. What startles me is that it begins to talk to me.

_'Think before you do this, Talon. You can just hide this girl's body and get out of your bloodied clothes.' _

"I've...thought."

_'And?'_

"Let...the rampage...begin." I turn away from my reflection and open the door. The blood on my blade drips onto the floor as I walk, creating a path showing where I've been. I begin my slow descent down the stairs, and people begin to notice my blood soaked form. They go silent and step away slowly...

_"We're going to kill them all."_

Lux...where is Lux...

Something tugs on the back of my shirt. I then seem to realize where I am. I've wandered into the living room of the house, and the music has stopped. Everyone stands in a circle around me, horrified. I turn around and find Lux. She's saying things, but I just can't hear her. People start running out of the house and Lux becomes frantic. God, I wish I could hear what's going on right now...

Then it hits me...like, something legitimately hits me. Right in my shoulder. This sting...a gunshot wound? I face the direction in which the bullet came from and spot the three guys who let Lux and I inside the house. Two of them have swords, while one of them has a handgun. I notice that he's squeezing his finger on the trigger, so I teleport myself behind him and shove my blade through him. I kick him to the ground and begin to block all attacks coming at me.

This drug...this drug is making this too easy. It feels as if I can predict all of their movements...is this...is this really reality? Am I dreaming? Am I still in Demacia? Did I even ever leave the slums...

Fuck! Stay focused!

I shift my body to the right, avoiding a stab aimed for my chest. I use his momentum against him and stick my sword out as he practically throws himself onto it. I quickly take it out of his body and swing for a strike across his neck, perfectly removing his head from his shoulders. The satisfaction of a clean cut throws me off guard for a second, giving my final opponent enough time to run for his dead friend's gun and fire off two shots.

One hits me in the chest, and the other in my arm, but the rest of bullets seem to hit an invisible wall. After all of his ammo runs out, he turns to run but falls on his ass as he runs face first into the wall. Lux steps out from the cover of behind the couch and rushes over to me.

"Oh my God...are...are you okay?" I drop my blades as Lux's touch sends a jolt of pleasure throughout my body.

"Yeah, yeah. Never better actually." As she gets closer, her scent hits my nostrils and my mind seems to go blank. I'm going to lose control again...I need to fight it!

"What happened! Why did you come out here soaked in blood and ready to kill!"

"I...I was drugged...and it's fucking awesome."

"Did you forget about our mission?"

"Of course not!" I point to the frightened guy inside Lux's prison of light. "He's...he's a dealer." The man jumps a little when I call him a dealer.

"I-I was just trying to make some quick cash, man! P-please don't kill me!" He gets on his knees and brings his hands together as if to pray. "Please! I'm just a kid like you guys! Please, have mercy!" His words become more incoherent as he begins to choke on his tears. Lux once again points to him.

"He's a dealer?" I nod my head, so Lux walks over to him. He cowers in fear and crawls as far away as he possibly can from her. "You don't need to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you." Lux smiles as warmly as she can, and the boy begins to calm down a little. "Tell me...who gave you the ecstasy?" The boy lowers his head in a sort of panic.

"I...I can't tell you...I'm not allowed to tell you!" Lux's smile gets wider as the boy's flesh begins to start bubbling and he starts to scream in agony. I can only watch in shock as Lux burns this poor guy alive.

"Our biggest source of light is the Sun, as you should know. The surface of the Sun is about ten thousand degrees Fahrenheit, or five thousand six hundred degrees Celsius if that's your preference. I am a mage of the light, so continue to not comply and face the raw power of sunlight."

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Just please, for the love of God, stop!" Lux stops burning the boy, but it's too late. The damage to his skin has been done. "It was about a week ago...my friends and I were going to buy some stuff for this party, but when we got to the spot where we were meeting our guy, he was in the middle of a drug deal gone wrong and was shot and killed. The guy who shot him only took his cash and ran off, but my friends and I took his bag of drugs and ran off..."

"And you didn't see your dead dealer's face?"

"I didn't want to see it! We just grabbed the bag and ran as fast as we could. I don't know how, but that gang...the King's Couriers, they found us at our houses. I thought they were going to kill us, but instead they gave us two options. Come to this party and sell all the drugs in the bag, or die..." His body begins to lightly shake. "It was...it was an easy choice."

Lux smirks and turns her back to the boy. "Okay, thanks for the information. Talon," I snap back into my drug fueled reality as Lux calls my name, "can you kill him, please?" The boy yells out in despair at the notice of Lux's betrayal.

I smile and begin to slowly make my way over to him. He starts to say no over and over again as tears start to fall down his cheeks. I stop for a second, but notice the wall is gone, so I keep on walking. The boy bumps his back into the wall and stops moving. I hold my arms out and quickly grip onto his neck and begin to squeeze. He starts kicking my leg weakly, and punching my hands, but to no success. I lick my lips as his face begins to turn purple, and blood starts to slowly drip from his eyes, replacing the tears. He then stops struggling after about a minute, and his body goes limp. I release his neck, and just watch as he slides down the wall and fall onto his side, lifeless. I turn to Lux, who is currently on the phone calling for a pick up.

I'm not sure why...but as the drug begins to finish my hyper activity stage...my body begins to feel warm. The warmth only begins to burn hotter as I look at Lux. How have I never noticed how beautiful she truly is?

Her silky, golden hair...her soft, vanilla skin...her voluptuous, sexy figure...it puts me in a state of want...

But what is it that I want? I'm not sure what it is, but my body surely knows. Lux hangs up the phone and turns to me. I start walking towards her, quickly, but somehow calmly. I stand in front of her and look down into her eyes while I unconsciously bite my lip. Lux matches my gaze and begins to go red in the cheeks.

"So...a lift should be here in twenty minutes." I don't reply and continue to stare into her gorgeous sky blue eyes. "That's...that's a lot of time." I nod, but keep eye contact.

"I was surprised..." Lux reaches up with one hand and places her hand down over her heart.

"About?"

"Your bloodlust...that's rare to see in a woman."

"Y-you see me as a woman?" I look her up and down.

"Yes..." I purr softly to her, causing Lux to shudder. She take her hand and touches my chest. She brushes over my bullet wounds and holds it there.

"Does it hurt?" I nod for no. She then places her hand on my cheek and slowly leans forward. I don't believe it's right to do this...I'm not in the right state of mind! However, my body has different plans as I meet Lux's lips and become locked in a passionate, and long kiss. The warmth of my body begins to burn more and more...

Fuck...I can't take it...

I want her...I want her so fucking bad...

I'm not high on ecstasy anymore...I'm high off of Lux. And I'm addicted...

* * *

**Short chapter, sorry. I've been busy busy busy!**

**We had our first football game today, and holy shit it felt great to be back on that field! I did go kind of overboard in the game when I cracked this poor receiver who had his eye on the ball and not me, (a 5'11, 185 pound Corner), running full speed towards him. Long story short, I popped his helmet off and knocked him out cold for a few minutes. **

**Oh boy, it feels good to be back baby! **


	29. Old Enemies

This is bad...this is really, really bad.

My mind is too heavy to regain control, and Lux looks like she has no intention of stopping me. The way her body is pressed up against me sends waves of pleasure that feels like being electric shocks all throughout my body. I try to pull away, but Lux moves one hand to the back of my head and holds me in place.

I move from her lips and leave a trail of kisses from her lips to her neck. Once there, I slightly nibble and smooch her soft skin. As I place my mouth upon her neck, I can feel the light pulse speed up. I begin to think about how fragile she truly is. I can end her life right her if I desired to do so...but a sudden reaction down below desires something else. I can feel it...Lux's hand slowly make her way to my personal 'sword'. Her hand only brushes that area over my pants, but it's a whole new sensation of pleasure, and I feel too weird about it.

I decide that enough is enough, so I use all the power left in me, and grab hold onto her shoulders and push her away. We both split and stare at one another while gasping for air. I want to speak, but I'm too busy trying to catch my breath, so Lux speaks before I do.

"Is this real, Talon?" I look at her confused.

"I don't understand..."

"That kiss, Talon. Was it real..." she looks to the floor, "or was it the drugs?"

I don't want to play with her emotions, so I guess I'll say the truth. "I'm not thinking clearly, Lux...I'm sorry." She seems to flinch in pain at the sound of truth, but she still smiles.

"I guess...I guess I'll just have to try harder, won't I?" I let go of her as she slowly backs away from me. "While we wait, Talon...can I ask you a question?" I sit against the wall, next to boiled and choked boy. I push him away from me, and he flops onto the floor like a fish out of water.

"Depends on the question."

"I'm just curious...curious about my competition."

"Competition?" Lux places one hand on her mouth to hide her mouth while she giggles.

"For your affection of course, dummy! So, will you tell me?"

I sigh. "Well...where to start...I guess first off is a girl named Riven. Then we got Katarina, Cassiopeia, and Quinn. That's it."

"Come on! That didn't help me learn about my enemies at all!"

"I don't know what the hell you want to know about them...I hardly know them myself!"

"Just about their personalities, and how much you like them."

"I'm not one to talk about people behind their backs, but I guess if I don't badmouth them it should be fine..." I look up towards the ceiling as I do my best to recall my memories of the girls I've come to grow fond of back in Noxus. A small smile creeps onto my face as the memories of being annoyed, stabbed, nearly raped, strangled, paralyzed, and insulted on a daily basis are enhanced by my high. Those may seem like bad memories, but I see them as good ones. Then...then the really good memories kick in that kind of embarrass me that I think they're good. The memories of being kissed...hugged...occasionally waking up next to Riven or Cassie...training with Kat...eating meals together...working for Marcus...

Wait, those last two have nothing to do with the girls! I've seemed to be in a haze as Lux's snapping fingers in my face wakes me from my trance.

"I'm guessing you were thinking of fond memories? Let me hear, please! I'm curious as to what can make the 'cold', 'emotionless', 'murdering' Talon smile." It feels like a punch in the gut to hear Lux talking about my smile.

"I thought you were more curious about your so called rivals."

"Is it too much to ask if I'd like to know both?"

"Yes. Only one." Lux puffs her cheeks out in a pout.

"Fine, what are my rivals in love like?"

"Well..." I look to my right arm and cycle between an open palm and a fist, "your biggest competition, is definitely..." Lux practically gets into my face as I slowly reveal the one I love most, "my arm blade." As I begin to chuckle, Lux steps back and rests her arms across her chest.

"Fine then, don't tell me. Just know that I won't lose!" A tinge of nostalgia overcomes me as Lux states that she will not lose. Her blonde hair and blue eyes combined with that sentence reminds me...they remind me of Cassie.

The clinking of metal echoes through the now empty house, and multiple Demacian guardsmen swarm the entirety of the home. The step aside as Jarvan comes through, fully clad in his golden armor. He stops at the sight of the scene and looks directly to me.

"What the fuck happened!" I slowly stand up, making sure I have my balance, but Jarvan quickly rushes to me and grabs me by my collar and lifts me into the air. "These were just fucking teenagers, Talon! Didn't I say not to go overboard!" I softly laugh.

"They're far from innocent." Jarvan slams me into the wall, causing me to lose my breath for a few seconds. Lux quickly runs to his side and grabs hold onto his arms.

"Stop, Jarvan! Talon is telling the truth!" Jarvan holds me in the air while looking down towards Lux. He then looks to me and scowls.

"We'll talk about this later. Get back to the palace and rest for now." He releases me, but I fall onto my knees. I rub the back of my head and look at the direction Jarvan left. Lux comes to my side and offers a hand to help me up.

"I think he's a bit mad at my methods..." I say while laughing.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in an unknown area of Noxus**

"The wheels of fate have been put in motion, my colleagues. Keiran has taken Darius's challenge, and no doubt he underestimates the power of my protégé." Jericho sits in the darkness, petting his beloved raven, Beatrice. "Once that fool is dead, the rest shall fall into place." Laughter from across the room causes all in attendance to swallow the saliva in their throats as Jericho stands and scans the table. He looks down towards a familiar fallen angel, who sits nonchalantly eating a bag of her own cookies.

"It seems that you're forgetting about my young friend, Talon." She stops speaking to place another cookie into her mouth. "Heed my warning, Jericho, if you truly wish to create a new world order."

"And why should I take the advice of a disgraced god, who lives in the shadow of her sister?" Morgana's relaxed expression does not falter, but the cookie in her hand turns to ash. She laughs once and stands, then begins to head towards the door. Before she exits, she speaks without facing Jericho.

"Only a fool would truly believe that everything would work perfectly on the first attempt. You can choose to listen to the words of a god, or choose to be a foolish mortal and charge head first into certain death." She crumples the empty bag of cookies, and tosses it onto the floor. "But whatever suits you best, Jericho. I'm immortal, so I'll be here to enjoy the ride no matter what happens." And on that note, she steps out of the door, and promptly exits the secret meeting. The whole room is silent, save for Jericho's heavy breathing. He slowly lowers himself back into his seat and sighs.

"Emilia, tell me... just tell me what is the boy doing now?" The Deceiver, just a few seats down from Jericho, holds her staff out and just watches as the gems around the tip come together to form a single blue orb. She stares at it for a few moments and lets the gem separate when she finishes observing.

"It appears that he's currently in a hospital right now. He sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and is also under the effects of a drug known as ecstasy." She rests her cheek on one hand and sighs. "Who would have guessed my old pet was such a lowlife..."

"I think he's still wonderful!" Demonic cackling fills the silent room. "You've seemed to skip the part where he slaughters those putrid children! And did I see a move I taught him, as well? I'm a proud parent indeed!" Shaco begins to holler, but Jericho raises a single hand to silence him.

"If...just if... what Morgana said is true, then I would rather not risk it." Jericho stands and slowly hobbles towards the door. "Shaco, go deal with your little trainee for me."

"Is there going to be a please?" Jericho lifts his cane and sends a blast of green fire towards Shaco, but he vanishes, leaving behind laughter that slowly fades away.

"Damn clown."

* * *

**Back in Demacia, Holy Cross Medical Center**

As the drugs wore off, the pain of a gunshot wound took the place of my high. While the doctors reach inside my body to pull the bullet out, I'm about ready to just take the scalpel off a nearby desk and slit my own throat than deal with this pain.

Unfortunately, I have been denied any sort of pain killers due to the risk of me overdosing off some sort of morphine, ecstasy cross over.

"Okay, deep breath, Talon. We're going to pull very hard now since the bullet is lodged pretty deep into your shoulder." They call in a few more nurses to assist them with whatever needs to be done, and begin to hover over me like a group of vultures swarming a carcass. Two nurses on the side hold my arms down, while two nurses at the end of the bed hold my legs. The main doctor slowly squeezes a pair of tweezers into the cavity the bullet has made within my shoulder blade, and begins to spread the flesh apart further than the bullet has already done. A stinging sensation, followed by immediate relief tells me that the doctor has successfully removed the object stuck inside my body.

"Thank God it's finally over..."

"Hate to break it to you, but we've still got to do the disinfecting and stitching."

"Just fucking kill me instead!"

* * *

**Sorry for these short chapters, but as stated before I've been busy. **

**But holy shit guys, I'm 1 step closer to my dream! University of Alabama and USC are sending some representatives to check out my friend Giovanni (Middle Linebacker), and myself! WOOOOOOOO!**

**I've been trembling with excitement cause I don't want to fuck up my game this Friday! I want to put on a show! Wish me luck, and see you guys at the next chapter!**


	30. Yandere Lux and the Crimson Elite

_'You've had quite the night.'_

"I suppose it will be one I won't soon forget." I sit in my empty dream world, right beside my inner self. He stretches his arms above his head, and slowly lowers himself to lay down on the floor.

_'So...that Luxanna girl though.'_

"Heh...what about her?"

_'Who would have guess she was so bold.' _He cocks his head to the side in thought. _'Actually, I think you should be wary of her.'_

Confusion appears onto my face. "Wary? Of Lux? Please! I've met rats who posed a higher threat than her."

My inner self sits up while laughing. _'I sensed something in her during last night's escapade...it felt like she's a bit psychotic inside.' _He looks up the empty ceiling of this dream world and smirks. _'And I believe that what she's doing right now only further proves me right.'_

"Why? What's she doing?"

_'Wake up and find out for yourself.' _My dream world becomes blurrier and blurrier, while my body becomes heavier. I try to call out to him, but only gibberish comes out as I begin to wake up.

I open my eyes slowly, and blink a few times. To my surprise, I find Lux sitting on top of me, with a ball of rope in hand.

"Morning!" She smiles and tosses the rope off to the side. I try to sit up, but I notice that my hands have been tied together, and tethered to the bed post. I try to kick my legs off the side of the bed, but no use. My feet have been bound to the end of the bed as well. "We've got the day off today cause of your injury, so I think we should spend it together!"

"Do I have any say in this?"

"I think your current situation answers that question." Lux then rests her head upon my chest and closes her eyes. "You look cute when you sleep."

A cold feeling goes down my spine, causing me to shiver. "Untie me, Lux."

She nuzzles her head and purrs. "Nah. I'm pretty comfortable here."

"Please, I just want to relax today...besides, where the hell did you learn how to tie ropes like this?" Lux reaches onto the floor and picks up a book titled 'The Beginner's Guide to Bondage'. She tosses it aside and lays down. "You've read that whole book?" She nods. "Were you in my room all night reading that shit?" She nods again. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy that I met someone who's just like me." Lux sits up and looks down to me.

"I guarantee you, we are nothing alike."

She tilts her head to the side. "You like to kill, do you not? The adrenaline rush, the satisfaction...is it not what you enjoy most from ending another person's life?" Her normal playful tone is gone, replaced with a more sinister and serious one. "You're just like me, Talon. And I'm just like you..." she brings her hand to my face and slowly rubs my cheek, "so I'm not going to let go of you so easily. We're both psychos, Talon...fucked up in the head." Her demeanor is off character...or maybe her bubbly attitude is just an act...

I don't even know anymore. This girl is honestly putting me on edge. I open my mouth to speak, but she places one finger on my lips and hushes me. I don't know if she's trying to be sexy or something, but she then slides her finger into my mouth and feels around inside. I squirm and try to get her off of me, but I just can't. She takes her finger out, and just watches as my saliva drips down, and lands onto my body. I gag a little when Lux puts her finger in her mouth and smiles seductively at me. When she's finished violating me, she puts her head back down onto my chest and returns to her playful state.

_'What...the...fuck...' _

Agreed voice in my head...agreed.

**Noxus, House of DuCouteau**

Marcus sits in his office, staring at a letter he has written for Prince Jarvan. The letter contains information of the events that have transpired in the High Command meetings, and the problems they now face with Jericho having the upper hand. Such a letter would not only put Marcus against the executioner's chopping block, but his whole family as well. Even though it's for the good of Noxus, it is still high treason to give such information to a rival country.

He reaches into his pocket and grabs a cigarette to calm his mind. He places the cigarette in his mouth, then tosses the paper into a nearby trash bin. Marcus lights his cigarette, then uses the still burning match to set the paper ablaze. There's no point in putting his family at risk for the sake of his political beliefs.

Marcus takes a puff of his cigarette, and blows out a large cloud towards the ceiling. Having thought against writing a letter, he stands from his chair and heads towards the door. He exits his study and comes face to face with Katarina.

"Father! Is there a fire in your study? I thought I smelled smoke!" He smiles and pats Kat on the head.

"I'm glad for your concern, but it's nothing to worry about." Marcus takes a long drag of his cigarette and begins walking down the hallway, with Kat in close pursuit.

"Work struggles?" Marcus stops for a moment, then continues onward while chuckling.

"You could say that." As they reach the end of the hallway, Marcus and Kat look down towards the living room where they spot Cassie and Riven having another argument over who has more of Talon's affections. "Morning, Riven. I see you and Cassie are getting along as usual." Marcus heads down the stairs and towards the living room, where he takes a seat in his favorite lounge chair. He takes a final puff of his smoke, then pats the butt of the cigarette out in a nearby ash tray. "So, what brings you here today, Miss Riven?"

Riven stands, then bows her head politely before speaking. "I would like to send Talon a letter, but I'm not sure how I'd go about sending it. I was just wondering if you had any connections between Noxus and Demacia, and if yes, I would be grateful if you could send him my letter."

"You don't need to be so formal with me, Riven." Marcus chuckles causing her to go red in the cheeks. "Truth be told, I unfortunately do not have a way to contact Demacia, which is problematic." Marcus crosses his legs and sighs. "If only Talon didn't kill all my damn elites, I'd be able to send a messenger." He smiles. "That boy's a gift, and a burden. Wouldn't you ladies agree?" All three of the girls nod their heads in unison.

"General...you haven't recruited any new members in your elite?" Marcus nods his head for no. "Well, I'm not sure how much good use you can get out of me, but I'd be more than happy to serve under you." The room goes silent, and all eyes fall onto Riven. She begins to shake, so she bows her head to hide her face. "I'm sorry! That was such an outrageous idea-"

"It's not." Kat and Riven simultaneously look to Marcus. "You're a gifted woman, Riven. One of the strongest warriors I've seen in a long time."

"T-thank you, General."

"However, my elite are assassins...but they're all dead..." Marcus rubs his chin and hums while he thinks. He snaps his finger when an idea comes into his mind. "I think I've got it!" Marcus quickly stands up, grinning from ear to ear. "Riven...Katarina...how would you two like to be the first two members of the new Crimson Elite?"

**The Demacian Palace gardens**

_'You think we lost her?'_

"God, I hope so..." I'm currently standing behind a tree, doing my best to avoid Luxanna. At first I thought she was just some rich, Demacian brat. Then she turned out to be a skilled mage, and infiltrator. And now, she's an overly attached psychopath. If I could, I would just kill her, but unfortunately I can't. I rest my back against the tree, and sit on the floor, hoping that she won't be able to find me. I remember the days of being chased by Cassie in a playful way, but no...this isn't playful. This girl truly believes that we are destined for each other...and that deep kiss last night did not help my case at all. Fuck that drug. Fuck this country. Just fuck my life as a whole right now.

My whole body tenses up as I hear footsteps strolling in the gardens. I carefully poke my head out, and sigh in relief when I notice that it's only Jarvan. I come out of my hiding spot and walk over to him.

"Hello, Jarvan." He grabs a nearby rose, and begins to pick the petals off as he motions for me to follow him in his walk.

"Afternoon, Talon. How's your injury doing?" I stretch my arms across my chest and smirk.

"Better than it was last night."

"That's good...that's good." Jarvan stops walking, so I do the same. He then faces me and tosses the rose onto the grass besides the pathway. "I've been meaning to talk to you..." He takes a deep breath and sighs. "Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"You know what I mean, Talon." His voice begins to rise as he seems to become angry. "Why did those kids deserve to die last night? What could they have done to somehow invoke your drug fueled wrath?"

"Jarvan, I understand you're upset, but at least hear me out before you get upset with me." Jarvan places his hands behind his back in parade rest, then turns away from me.

"Go on. I'm curious as to why you would believe it to be okay to brutally murder those four kids."

"Listen, those four were far from innocent. The girl, she gave me a water bottle when I told her I was feeling a bit sick. That bottle turned out to be spiked with ecstasy." Jarvan glances over his shoulder at me. "I lost all control of my body and couldn't move, so she took advantage of me and attempted to do sexual acts on me while I was unable to consent." Jarvan faces away from me again, but rests one hand on his hip, while the other goes to rest on his chin. "In my drugged out state, I couldn't think clearly, and I panicked. I took my blade and killed her before she could do anything to me. I then went downstairs to find Lux, when those three boys rushed me with swords and a gun. Of course, I wasn't just going to let them kill me, so yes. I did slaughter them. But they weren't innocent either, those three were the drug dealers at that party, and we were able to discover their supplier." Jarvan slowly turns to face me. "The name of the supplier is a gang called 'King's Couriers'. End them, and you end a large scale ecstasy producer in Demacia."

"Well...that was quite the story..." Jarvan smiles and rests one hand on my shoulder. "Listen...I'm sorry I got upset at you like that. It's just...I normally deal with adult criminals and soldiers...not children. I was in denial that kids were involved in a drug operation." He then wraps his arm around my neck, and buddies me up to him, as he always does. "You and Lux did a good job. And my father will be pleased to hear of your success." Jarvan then begins to laugh heartily as he stares into the clear, blue skies. "So, how should we reward you?"

Only one thing can come into my mind at the moment. "Keep Lux away from me." Jarvan slowly looks down to me.

"Don't tell me...she's having a psychotic day today?"

"A what?"

"Due to Lux's powerful use of magic, her mind has become a bit...unstable." Just a bit? "Most days she's her normal, bubbly self...others she's an intelligent, yet insane threat to herself, and everyone around her. So tell me, Talon...is she having one of those days?"

"Well, I woke up this morning tied to my bed, she binge read a whole book on tying rope while she watched me sleep, and is currently in pursuit of me. Is that normal for her...?" Jarvan's quivering tells me what I feared to be true...Lux is currently on one of her psychotic days.

"Where...where was the last time you saw her..."

"The dining hall...I was able to get away through an open window."

"So she's near..." Jarvan begins to bite on the tip of his thumb. "Listen to me very carefully, Talon. Lux is skilled in the art of light magic...she can be anywhere where there's light. We need to find a dark area to hide from her, or else she's going to find us and do God knows whatever is happening in her mind..." Jarvan begins to walk quickly back to the Palace. "Come on, if she's after you, the last thing you'd want to do is stand out here in the sunlight!" I'm reluctant at first, but I begin to follow him. We move side by side in a slight jog and up the stairs that lead into the dining hall. We stop at the door, and Jarvan slightly opens the door. He motions for me to scan the dining hall, so I crouch down and walk over. I look inside and spot Lux staring outside of the open window that I jumped out of. I step back and quietly shut the door.

"She's in there...let's try and find another way inside. I think I saw some servant doors on the other side of the-"

"Talon's right here, Lux!" Jarvan opens the door and shoves me inside. He then quickly shuts it and holds it there.

"Traitor!"

"I'm too young to die, Talon!"

"I'm younger than you, you fuck!" I pound on the door roughly attempting to break outside, but my body freezes as I feel hands wrapping against my chest.

"All this running, Talon...you should have known it was useless..." My body goes limp as I come to terms with my fate. "Where there's light...there's Lux. There's no escaping..." I notice that the door is slightly ajar, so I look to the corner and spot Jarvan's eyes watching me. I mouth my final words to him.

"Et tu, Brute?" The door shuts, and Lux begins to tie me up once again.

"I'm not letting you get away so easily this time, you're my destiny, my one true soul-mate. Fate brought us together...and only death can tear us apart."

"Can you kill me then?"

"Let me rephrase that...only I can tear us apart...and I have no plans of doing so..." Lux fastens the knot, and begins to drag me by my shirt collar to what I assume to be the end of the line for me.

**Noxus, House of DuCouteau**

"Y-yes! I gladly accept the position!" Riven goes against her normal shy personality due to the joy of being able to work for General DuCouteau. Katarina is speechless, and is frozen with a smile on her face.

"I'll take that as two yeses." Marcus is startled as Kat suddenly wraps her arms around him in a hug, with tears of joy falling down her face. "Oh jeez, Katarina. You don't need to cry..."

"I'm just...I'm just so happy you're finally trusting my skills..." She buries her face into her father's shirt, so Marcus begins to laugh.

"You're getting my shirt all wet, Kat!" All he gets for a response is a muffled 'shut up'. Riven excuses herself and runs quickly to inform Lady Aella of her new position. Marcus lifts Kat's head up, and looks her in the eye while smiling. "You're going to be training with me from now on, and don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because you're my daughter!" Marcus says that, but he doesn't how he'd feel swinging a sword towards Katarina. Kat steps away from her father and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"I'd be more upset if you did go easy on me."

"Ha! That's the spirit! You're going to become a legend one day, my little Kitty Kat!" Kat quickly throws her hands down in a fist.

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh? You don't like that name?"

"Come on, father. You know I've never liked that nickname." Marcus's smile becomes deviant.

"Well then...welcome to the Crimson Elite...agent 'Kitty'." Katarina's happiness seems to vanish off her face.

"You're...you're joking right?"

"Agent Kitty, I'm not sure how you expected this to be run, but there are always going to be things that you'll not like but will have to deal with. Welcome to the big leagues, Katarina."

* * *

**Shout-out to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed From Thief to Legend! I didn't expect it to be as well received as it is right now, but it makes me happy to come home and hear good things about a story I'm writing for fun!**

**Also, we lost our game on Friday sadly, 14-10. Our offense just couldn't break through their defense! But, I did get to meet the representative from USC! Hopefully, I'll get some scholarship offers from colleges later on in the year, or in my senior year of school. **

**Deuces, see y'all at the next chapter! **


	31. A Noxian Night Out

**1 week later, The Fleshing Arena...Darius versus Keiran**

The normally crowded coliseum is eerily quiet as only a select few from the Noxian High Command have been allowed entry to this special event. Marcus doesn't know who this Darius man is, but his blank expression as Keiran throws a barrage of insults at him almost reminds him of Talon. The sands of past gladiator battles is stained with the blood of thousands of fallen warriors, yet that doesn't stop Darius from kneeling into the blood-soaked sand and smearing it onto his hands. Although he is technically his opponent, Marcus can't help but feel intrigued by this young man. His stance...his expression...in fact, just everything about Darius screams out the image of a perfect Noxian soldier. So why? Why would he be working with Jericho? What does a soldier like him, who could become a general on his own, possibly gain from being a lackey? It's always like this thinks Marcus. He never knows what Jericho has planned, hence his great skill in strategizing. The hushed whispers among the small crowd of generals and politicians silences as they all focus on Jericho, who stands tall to announce the beginning of the duel.

"On this day, of November the tenth, let it be known that Keiran Darkwill, son of the now deceased Grand General Boram Darkwill, shall duel the self proclaimed 'Hand of Noxus' and Noxian war hero, Darius!" Jericho pauses for a moment as whispers among the small crowd erupt. Darius? War hero? There have been no large scales battles in recent days, how is this boy a war hero? "This duel shall be fought with the weapons that both competitors have chosen, Keiran's weapon being his personal sword, and Darius's weapon being his battle axe. As for rules...there are none. Darius, are you ready?" Darius nods his head once. "Keiran, are you ready?"

"I'm always ready!"

"Then...you two may begin!"

Immediately after Jericho gives the call for the duel to start, Keiran wastes no time to rush head first into the fight. As for Darius, he doesn't move an inch.

"You're going to make this too easy for me!" Keiran lunges forward, aiming his sword at Darius's throat, but within a split second, Darius steps off to the side and drills his fist into Keiran's stomach. Keiran falls to a knee, while he goes into a coughing fit. Darius wastes no time, and sends his foot directly towards his face, and launches Keiran a few yards back. Keiran rolls off of his back, and stumbles back into his fighting stance. "You...you could have killed me...but you didn't. Are you a coward!" Darius slowly begins to walk towards Keiran.

"You're too cocky, you're idiotic, you're brash, and you're arrogant. I'm not only going to kill you, but I will humiliate you as well so you can be remembered in death as that idiotic son of a worthless Grand General." Keiran places both his hands on the hilt of his sword as he breathes heavily through his nose.

"You son of a bitch...I'll kill you!" He lifts his sword high above his head, and swings it downwards at Darius with great force. Darius lifts his axe to block the blow, and then shifts the momentum and puts Keiran off balance. Using this opportunity, Darius swings his axe purposely low, and slices the hamstring of Keiran's right leg. He screams out in agony, as he falls into a knee, using his sword to hold him up. Darius reaches out with his axe, and lifts Keiran up by the neck within the curve of his blade, then tosses him aside as if he was a small pebble. Keiran attempts to land on his feet, but fails as a gross, and loud tearing sound echoes throughout the coliseum. The wound inflicted on the hamstring of his leg has been split open further, forcing Keiran to stay on the ground. Darius bends down and grabs the top of Keiran's head, and lifts him up to his face. Keiran still has some fight left in him as he swings his sword at Darius's side. All hope vanishes from his face as Darius drops his axe and stops the blow with his bare hands. It leaves a cut, but to Darius it's nothing. He takes the sword from a defeated Keiran's hands and tosses it on the ground.

"Unworthy...you're unworthy of the title of Grand General." Darius releases Keiran, and just watches as he falls onto his back, lying in the sand, stunned. He picks his axe up and lifts it up into the air, but holds it there. Darius turns his attention to Jericho. He taps his fingers on his cane for a few moments, then gives him a single nod. "I have my orders." And with that, Darius swings down, causing a few of the people in attendance to gasp. Darius kneels down, and grabs onto the top of Keiran's head, and tears it apart from his body. He lifts it high into the air and begins to laugh. "Witness true strength!" Darius then tosses his head off to the side as if it were garbage.

Silence...absolute silence throughout the entire coliseum. An unknown man has defeated one of the strongest Noxian soldiers with ease. A man by the name of Malachi Ferris, a member of the Noxian Senate, stands tall among the stunned crowd.

"Darius...was it?" He nods for yes. "Was that demonstration your announcement of running for Grand General?" Darius throws his head back in laughter.

"I'm not a fan of that political nonsense. I'm more of a man of action..." Darius looks to Jericho, and then back to the crowd, "this was a demonstration of what will happen to those who oppose a Noxus run by General Swain."

While the onlookers stare in silence, Marcus can't help but begin to laugh. Darius drops his axe and begins to walk towards him. Jericho stands up and lifts a single hand out, commanding Darius to stop moving.

"Is there something on your mind, Marcus?" Jericho scowls as he spits his words out.

"Nothing much...but is that how you plan to run Noxus, Jericho? Having others do your dirty work?" The other members of the High Command begin to speak in silence as they agree with Marcus. "Having Keiran killed was a bit excessive, even if he did begin this idiotic duel. This is not strength, Jericho, this is oppression. Do you plan to have all who oppose you killed in this manner as well?" Jericho says nothing as he begins to walk out of the coliseum.

"This duel is finished. You are dismissed, Darius." Darius bows his head in Jericho's direction and begins to walk towards the exit of the arena.

Curiosity gets the better of Marcus. As all the other event goers begin to leave as well, Marcus heads in the opposite direction and jumps into the arena. He quickly follows Darius through the arena exit, and all the way to a locker room. After Darius removes his armor, and dresses in his civilian attire, Marcus steps into view.

Darius takes on look at Marcus and begins to head out.

"Darius, may I speak with you?" He stops and laughs once.

"Oh, I didn't see you there, General DuCouteau." He turns to face Marcus, and smirks at his own sarcasm. "My deepest apologies."

"Please, just call me Marcus." Marcus rests his arms across his chest and leans against the lockers.

"And what business do you have with me?"

"I'm just here to get some information."

"And what information could you possibly gain from a mere soldier like myself?"

"You'd be surprised, my boy. I'm wondering how such a powerful warrior becomes the lackey of another man." Darius laughs and also begins to rest against the lockers.

"I'm flattered, and the answer to that is very simple, Marcus."

"And what may the answer be?" Darius grins and taps on his head with his finger. "Money? Power? Women...umm men...?" Darius throws his head back in laughter.

"I don't seek any of those. I'm what people call a brute...a man with violence on his mind twenty four seven. General Swain promises me opponents who will actually be a challenge to my skills."

"I see...I see..." Darius lifts himself off the lockers and begins to head towards the exit.

"If that's all, I'll take my leave. I need to meet a certain idiot at a bar." Marcus lifts himself off the lockers as well and rushes by Darius's side. "Do you have business with me still?" Marcus nods his head.

"No, I was just thinking of how long it's been since I've taken a night out to the town. Mind if I join you?" Darius smirks and continues walking.

"Think you can handle a night with my brother, and I?" Marcus scoffs.

"The real question is can you handle a night with me." Darius smirks.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Depends, do you want it to be?"

"So be it...try not to have a heart attack, old man."

**The Broken Sword Bar and Grill, 15 minutes later**

The Sun has fallen, and the Moon and stars take its place across the dark sky. A cool breeze sends shivers down Marcus's spine as him and Darius walk towards the entrance of a rather...boorish looking bar. Darius pushes the door open and immediately the smell of barbequed food and hard liquor causes his stomach to growl. Surprisingly, the inside is pleasant looking as compared to the dirty exterior. Most people in the bar mind their own, except for one man sitting in the corner of the bar. Darius begins to head in that direction, so Marcus follows. The man sitting down has a barely dressed woman in each arm, and sounds as if he does nothing but talks about himself. The man pushes the girls out of the table and stands up.

"Well, well, well. Look at this giant fucker walking over here like he has something to say to Draven." Oh boy, this man is probably about to die Marcus thinks. Darius walks up to the man named Draven, and looks down to him. They stare at each other for a few moments and then they bust out into laughter. The women Draven shoved off to the side seem to scowl at him. One of them then fake coughs to get his attention.

"Baby, where's our seat at this table!"

"Draven's done playing with you ladies, it's man time!" They seem to growl and walk away.

"Stupid jerk..." Draven just laughs and sits back down. His eyes then wander to Marcus.

"Who's the grandpa, bro?"

"General DuCouteau." Draven looks Marcus up and down.

"General...huh?" Marcus reaches one hand out.

"Just call me Marcus. You're...Draven?" Draven stands up and shakes his hand.

"Draven's the name, looking...Draven is my game."

"I see...and you're Darius's...?"

"He's my brother. Ignore his stupidity please." Darius scoots over in the table and gives Marcus room to sit. "Listen to this, Draven. Marcus here believes he can handle a night of partying with us."

Draven throws his head back in laughter, just like his brother. "Draven's amused, but thinks you're crazy if you believe that." Draven raises his hand above his head and begins to snap his fingers. Immediately, a waitress from behind the bar heads to the table and places three beers down. Draven and Darius grab theirs and drain it within seconds. Marcus lifts it up and inspects the label. Graggy Ice? He places the bottle at his lips and begins to drink. He quickly stops drinking and begins to cough in disgust.

"This liquor is ass!" Darius and Draven seem thrown back by Marcus's outburst. "Let me show you boys _real _drinking." Marcus lifts his hand up and begins to snap his fingers. A waitress from behind the bar then comes to the table. "Miss, would you happen to have a bottle of Freljordian Moonshine?"

"We do, but it's a fifty gold drink." Darius and Draven sound shocked by the price, but it doesn't even faze Marcus.

"That's fine. Bring us a full bottle and three shot glasses." The waitress nods her head and leaves. Marcus quickly finishes his bottle of Graggy Ice and laughs. "Is this all you boys drink?"

"It's all we can afford..." Marcus smirks as the waitress places down the bottle of moonshine and the glasses.

"Tonight...I'm going to show you boys a whole new definition of drunk." Marcus begins to pour the three of them a shot. When he finishes, Darius and Draven are reluctant to grab their glasses. "What's the matter?"

"Well...such an expensive item, Draven and I feel as if we couldn't possibly accept." Marcus scoffs.

"Fifty gold is nothing. Just take the shots and let me show you boys how this old man parties." Draven and Darius look at each other and nod. Simultaneously, they reach for their glasses and quickly down it. Draven's coughing fit, and Darius's expression lets Marcus know that one shot probably has them feeling buzzed.

"That...that was really strong." Darius pounds on his chest a few times.

"You guys can't be finished yet! We're nowhere close to being done with this bottle!" Darius and Draven swallow the lumps in their throats as they prepare for the next round.

**1 hour 30 minutes, and countless shots later**

"Ha ha! You're pretty cool old..._hic_...man! Draven's thankful for helping..._hic_...him get really drunk!" Draven throws his arms around Marcus's neck.

"We still got all this..._hic_...moonshine left." Darius lifts the bottle up and shakes it. Less than half of the bottle remains.

"Ha ha ha! Sounds like a job for..._hic_...Draven!" Draven quickly snatches the bottle and begins to chug. Marcus and Darius can do nothing but look in awe as Draven manages to finish the bottle. "That's right! Praise me! For I am the greatest man who has ever-" Draven stops talking and blacks out on top of the table. Darius to pokes him a few times, and then laughs.

"I...I guess that's our cue to end the drinking..._hic_...here." Darius lifts Draven up, and throws him over his shoulders as if he's done this hundreds of times.

"You want to spend the night at my place? I had...I had something I wanted to..._hic_...ask you, but I just can't for the life of me remember what it was..." Marcus tries to stand up, but falls back down. Darius grabs Marcus and throws him over his shoulder as well.

"General, I'd be honored to..._hic_...spend the night at your home...also it seems like you need..._hic_...someone to get you there safely as well." Marcus just points to the door of the bar.

"Carriage station...I'll pay..."

**One drunken carriage ride later, House of DuCouteau**

Marcus stumbles to the door, and servants quickly rush out to help him up. "Prepare a guest room for these two..._hic_...men." The servants guide Darius and Draven to their rooms, while they help Marcus walk to his. As he gets to his room, he sends the servants off and flops onto his bed. Immediately, he passes out.

**The next morning**

Marcus rubs his eyes as the sunlight seems to force him awake. He sprawls out across the bed and lets out a long yawn. A loud crash and yelling makes Marcus jump out of his bed, and reach for his swords. He runs out into the hall and comes across the chaos in the living room. The guards of Marcus's house are charging at Darius who just picks them up and easily tosses them to the side.

"What in the hell is going on!" Everyone freezes at the sound of Marcus's voice. The guards hold their swords at Darius as they stand still.

"Sir, this man's an intruder!"

"Lower your weapons, that man's a guest!" All the guards stop and quickly sheathe their swords. "I appreciate your diligence, so please head back to your posts!" The guards nod their heads and head outside. Darius seems to taunt them as he laughs at them.

"That was a pretty fun way to cure a hangover."

"I'm sorry that happened..." Darius waves his hand.

"Don't be." Darius raises his arms above his head and stretches out. "So, what was it you said you wanted to ask me?" Marcus thinks for a few moments and then snaps his fingers.

"Please, have a seat." Marcus sits in his favorite chair, while Darius sits in the sofa across. "Darius, you're a man who loves to be in combat, am I correct?"

"You are."

"And what would you say if I told you about a group whose sole purpose is to go out into different types of combat every day?" Darius smirks.

"I'd say that you have my attention..."

"Well...in that case, let me tell you about a group I like to call the Crimson Elite..."

* * *

**Sorry, no Talon or Lux this chapter. :(**

**To make it up to you guys, how about some story progression? **

**... Wait, what do you mean that's still not a fair trade?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!**


	32. Necromancy Fun Time

Such a beautiful night. It makes me wonder how amazing this world could be if life was perfect. No murder, no rape, no starvation, no disease, just perfection. Would life be dull if there was such a world? Who knows-

"Just kill me now...please..."

"Shut the fuck up, you're ruining my deep thoughts!" Alright...where was I. If such a world existed, how bland would a person's personality be? No conflict to mold them into unique characters-

"I don't want to live anymore...you've already killed all my friends and took my hands...kill me please!"

"God damn it...fine." I slash my arm blade across his neck and watch as the color of life fades away from his face. Crimson red pours onto the sidewalk and pools beneath my shoes. I reach into my pocket and grab the communication device Jarvan gave me. I voice the command, 'Call Jarvan', and wait as it begins to ring. A click followed by hello tells me Jarvan has received my call. "It's Talon. Your wanted men are dead."

_"Did you at least attempt to make them clean kills?"_

I look behind me as the sea of blood flows off the sidewalk and into the street. "Umm...emphasis on 'attempt'."

Jarvan sighs. _"Whatever...message me your location and I'll have a pick up sent in about twenty minutes tops."_

"Got it. I'll send it now, see you in a few."

_"Later." _I hit the end call button and begin to voice my location in a message and send it to Jarvan. I stretch my arms above my head and look down at the four bodies. Four dead murderers, four steps closer to a job well done. I remove my arm blade and place it on the floor. Time to clean this scene up...make it easier for the coroners to pick up the bodies. I grab them by the arms and drag them to lay side by side to each other. Once I deem it neat enough, I grab my arm blade and sit on the curb to wait for my pick up.

One week has gone by like this. Simple jobs, modest pay offs, and no praise or thanks from Demacians except from Jarvan and the occasional Lux. So repetitive...at least in Noxus you had the chance of running into powerful magi. Oh well, such is life for a man with no purpose such as myself. Hopefully when I get back to Noxus, Marcus will have something new for me.

"Oh my god..." A faint voice, followed by the sound of groceries hitting the ground startles me. I look a little way down the sidewalk and notice a woman's figure. She turns back and begins to run.

Shit...shit...shit. I can't let her blab her mouth about these brutal methods the government allowed me to use! I close my eyes and picture myself in front of her path. I open my eyes when I feel her bump into my chest. She falls to the ground and begins to crawl backwards. She stops moving as we simultaneously recognize each other.

"Talon?"

"Bird girl?" She scowls as I reach a hand out and help her up.

"You know my name, jerk."

"Right, right. What brings you here, Quinn?" She pats her butt off and fixes her clothes.

"Well I was heading home with my groceries, but... Wait, what the hell are you doing here! And what was with those bodies?"

"Work."

"Work? That's not how Demacians handle criminals..."

"Well, it's the way I handle criminals." Quinn sighs.

"That's not my business...but what about my groceries? Now I have no food for the week!"

"Jarvan sent a pick up for me. I'd recommend coming with me to the palace for compensation." Quinn goes red and begins to shake.

"R-riding with you to go s-see the Prince? A-am I worthy?"

"What?"

"N-nothing! I could use that money...so I'll go. Only for the money! Don't get any ideas, Talon!"

"Umm...I didn't have any ideas so okay."

Quinn scoffs. "All men ever have on their minds is perverted things."

"Didn't realize you were a psychic."

"What makes you say that?" I walk past her and begin to head back to the bodies.

"Obviously you know what every man has on his mind. So can you guess what's on mine?" She follows close behind.

"Duh, you're the biggest pervert of them all. Like when you were peeping on me while I was at the lake, when you were sleeping in my tent, and then you made out with Shyvana to top it all off." She sighs and nods her head in disapproval. "You're pretty much a worthless Noxian."

"And you love me for it?"

"Exactly." There's a brief silence before she realizes what she's said. "W-wait, no! Stop messing with me!" She bends down and buries her face in her arms. I can't help but laugh at her embarrassment, but I quickly stop. I only count three bodies when there should be four. I grab my blade and begin to think. Which one could have survived from their injuries? Two were cuts across the throat, and then the other two bled out...so this is impossible. Quinn taps me on the shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"One of these dead men aren't dead." She looks at me confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, one of these dead bodies just got up and left. There were four, but now there's three." I begin to smack myself in the head with the broad side of my sword. How...how the hell did I not finish one of these guys off! Such an amateur mistake and it's going to cost me...I need to try and find him before the carriage gets here in...fifteen minutes I'd say.

"There's a small blood trail leading into the alleyway." I stop hitting myself and turn to Quinn. She's kneeling down and pointing at a line of blood drips that can easily be overlooked to the untrained eye. "I'm sure if we follow this, you'll find him." That's right...she's a scout! I nod my head and begin to walk into the alley. The moonlight illuminates the way as we follow the dark and narrow path. Quinn and I both come to a stop when a brick wall blocks our path. Quinn heads to the wall and places her hand on it. "This can't be happening...the blood trail goes into the wall!" I follow Quinn's lead and begin to feel for a secret opening...a key hole...just something at least to help us find out where this man went. I pound my fist angrily against the wall and curse myself. I look away for a few minutes and someone who was supposed to be dead gets away!

I sigh loudly as I rest my forehead on the wall. "How am I supposed to say that I failed..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself...you got three out of four."

"That only makes me feel worse." I reach into my pocket and grab my communication device. Before I can voice the command to call Jarvan, the device begins to levitate in the air. I stare at it in confusion before it turns to dust.

"You kiddies looking for me?" Quinn and I look up to the rooftops and spot the man that has gotten away. Multiple footsteps from the entrance of the alleyway tells Quinn and I that we're blocked in. I turn to the men who are coming at us and drop my jaw in shock. It's...it's the other three men who I killed. Yet...yet they look as if nothing has happened to them.

"What the fuck is going on!" The man on the rooftop begins to laugh.

"That's the beauty of necromancy...bringing people back from the dead." A necromancer...well this is certainly...new. "While I'd love to talk about magic, I do believe we have some business with you to take care of."

I prepare my blade and rush at the three revived men. I hack and slash and successfully slice their limbs apart. To my own horror, the limbs begin to grow back, and the wounds begin to close. Quinn places two fingers in her mouth and whistles very loudly. Within seconds, Valor swoops down from the skies and comes to my aid. He gouges the man and gives me time to prepare for my next rotation of attacks. This time I decide to decapitate the men. So one by one, their heads fall from their bodies. Once again, their heads float from the ground and reattach themselves to their bodies.

"Keep on trying, you'll never succeed!" I then realize it, fighting these zombies will get us nowhere. I picture myself behind the necromancer, and immediately I receive a devastating punch to the gut. I fall to my knees as I begin to cough violently. "I've seen all sorts of magic, boy, don't think you can get the jump on me!" The necromancer lifts his foot up, ready to stomp my face in, but before he can, an empty bottle comes flying out of nowhere and crashes against his face. I quickly get up and spot Quinn attempting to climb onto the roof.

"Valor! Get that necromancer!" He squawks once and begins to fight the man. I head over to Quinn to help her up, but the three zombies jump and grab onto Quinn's legs. I try my best to pull her, but three against one isn't going so well.

"Quinn...your pants! Take them off!"

"W-what...no!"

"Fucking do it or you're done for!" Quinn cries out and slides her pants off. The three zombies fall to the ground, taking her pants with her. I pull her up and fall backwards where she lands on top of me. I try to get up, but Quinn uses her hands to cover my eyes. "Let go, Quinn!"

"No! I'm indecent right now!" I can hear the necromancer is still alive and fighting with Valor, so I say fuck it and hold Quinn close to me.

"You're my eyes!"

"Right in front of us!" I hope she's right because I stick my blade straight out and charge forward. I hear a wet cutting sound, and the crunch of bones. I step back and remove my arm blade, then hear the sound of a body dropping to the floor. I then grab Quinn's hands and remove them from my eyes. I take a deep breath out of relief that this is finally over. I look down to my shoulder and notice Quinn is shaking while she places her head in my chest.

"You alright?" She nods her head from side to side. I can't help but feel bad for her...she looks like she's going to cry out of embarrassment.

"You..." she wipes the tears from her eyes, "you've seen me naked...we've slept in the same bed...and now you're holding me close as I stand here in my panties..." I let her go, so she steps back and attempts to pull her shirt down to cover herself up. It barely covers anything as I can still see the laciness of her pink panties, and her smooth and pale white thighs. "I'm soiled..."

"Soiled? How so?"

"According to my parents...only the man who I marry can see me in such states." She lowers her head in embarrassment, and then looks up with a surprisingly cute expression. It's a mixture of embarrassment, sadness, and...happiness? "Talon, to make things right...will you take responsibility?"

I slowly begin to walk backwards, but then I stop myself. What the hell is Quinn saying! "Responsibility for what?"

Quinn swallows the lump that was caught in her throat and takes a deep breath. "Talon...will you marry me?"

* * *

**House of DuCouteau, at the dinner table**

Cassie grabs onto her forehead and begins to yell out in pain. Marcus and Kat stand up and rush to her side.

"Cassie! What's the matter?"

She takes a few deep breaths and then looks up to the ceiling. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force..."

**House of Aella, inside the training room**

Riven falls to the ground and grabs onto her chest. Lady Aella rushes to her aid.

"Riven! What's wrong?"

"My...my heart. It's like someone just crushed it..."

* * *

**Back in Demacia**

One of the few times in my life, words have actually come to a loss for me. Quinn...of all people...Quinn asked me to marry her. This can't be real...no, this isn't real! She's just listening to her parents' teachings. Right...?

"Do you love me?" I ask Quinn, but she stays silent, so I repeat myself. "Do you love me, Quinn?" She lowers her head as she begins to blush, so I sigh in relief. "You should only marry the person you love, and I know that it's Jarvan who you love. I know your parents said that stuff to you, but you don't need to follow their rules to control your life...you should determine who you marry." I turn away from Quinn and grab the necromancer's body as I head back to the alleyway. I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but along with the wind I hear, 'Talon...you idiot.'

* * *

**Can everyone pray for my friend Kenny...there's nothing wrong with him, but on Friday's game he got crossed over into the next dimension. His girlfriend was watching.  
****RIP Kenny's ankles 1998-2015**

**Also here's some romantic stuff, yadda yadda yadda, hope you all like it, yadda yadda yadda.  
And one last thing, did Quinn's return seem forced? I wanted to bring her back to try and advance the story line and attempt to get Talon out of Demacia soon. Who knows...maybe Fiora will join the harem perhaps...? I'm kind of at a loss on where to go...so many ideas. Please PM me and help me out if one of you will be so inclined...thanks, and see y'all at the next chapter.**


	33. An Interesting Night

On this Demacian night, an unusual evil seems to lurk in the darkness. A lone guard on patrol through the empty streets quakes in fear due to his phobia of the supernatural. This night isn't normal he thinks...something is definitely not right. He stops for a moment under the streetlight to calm his nerves, but nearly jumps out of his armor as the light flickers on and off, then dies out. He decides to keep on moving with a hint of caution in his step.

Footsteps echo in the empty streets. He quickly turns behind him and scans the horizon. Thankfully, it's just his imagination...he hopes. Accepting the patrol this night was out of false bravado in a means to impress his coworkers. Regret fills his mind as he curses himself for being such an idiot. Too late now he thinks. It's his duty as a city guard to keep these streets safe, so he shakes anymore thoughts of fear out of his mind and soldiers on.

Relief fills his mind as he hears the sound of a horse-drawn carriage rolling down the street. At least he will not be alone for a few moments. As the carriage comes into sight, he looks to notice that there is no driver...and as it comes even further into view that there's no one inside as well. The horses look spooked and seem to be running away from something. Curiosity, a sense of duty, and a hint of fear hit the man all at the same time. He begins to jog in the direction the empty carriage came from in an attempt to find some information. He prays in the back of his mind that those were just horses who managed to escape from their master.

His body seems to take control as it for some reason begins to force him to run faster and faster. It was as if his body is warning him to get away from a danger he cannot sense yet. He happily obliges to continue running as a horrifying laughter echoes through the streets. Not today he thinks...not today and not ever will he try and fuck with laughter in an empty street.

A sharp pain in his back causes him to stop running. He reaches and yanks out a jagged dagger. The dagger has a mixture of his crimson blood, and suspicious black liquid. The black liquid turns out to be poison; he finds out as his body begins to go numb. He tries to continue with escaping, but his legs give up on him, so he collapses to the ground. He musters all the strength he can to crane his neck slightly as to look at the figure that approaches him. The unidentified person places their foot down across the guard's throat. They then apply a large amount of pressure in a short amount of time, causing the guard's neck to snap. The sound of the crunching bones echoes through the night, and it seems to entertain the suspicious person.

As the figure steps into the light, only a red and pointed slipper is revealed. The person kneels down and grabs the communication device that's attached to the now deceased guard's waist. It hits the on button and begins to speak.

"Send back up, over."

There's static for a few moments. _"Corporal Rogers, what is the reason for your request for reinforcements?"_

The person begins to cackle demonically. "Because I'm trying to have fun."

_"Wait a minute, who the hell are-"_ The figure crushes the device in his hands and begins to laugh.

"And now...we wait."

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

After a short time of waiting after our little escapade, the lift Jarvan has sent me finally has shown up. I inform the driver that Quinn will be accompanying me to the palace, so he smiles slyly. I quickly let him know that he is misunderstanding this situation.

Once inside, I stretch my whole body out and relax. Quinn on the other hand buries her face into her knees. A part of me wants to try and cheer her up, but I decide that she's had enough for the night. I mean she can't stand me, yet due to her family's rules, she feels as if we're forced to be together now. Unless I'm torturing someone before death, I'd rather not make people do things they would not want to do.

I bob my neck from side to side, making sure I can feel that pleasurable crack. I then begin to remove my blade from my arm, and while I'm doing that, I realize Quinn has lifted her head up. She looks to me and opens her mouth, but no words come out. She seals her lips and begins to blush. Once again, she opens her mouth but this time she speaks.

"Talon." I slide my blade off and look up to her as I slouch over and rest my arms on my knees. "What do you think of me?" I sit up and rub my chin in thought.

"Well...I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" I take a deep breath, and then exhale.

"To be honest, you're pretty interesting." Quinn seems to yelp as her face turns red. She lowers her head so I cannot see her expressions anymore.

"H-h-how am I...i-interesting?" I look to the ceiling of the carriage, and then I look back to Quinn.

"Firstly, your relationship with that damned bird is rather impressive. I've never seen loyalty like that, even among humans. Secondly, you're stronger than you look." Quinn slowly lifts her head up and looks me in the eyes.

"You've never seen me on my missions though? How can you know if I'm strong or not?"

"Tonight, you pulled off something pretty amazing." Quinn looks out the window.

"W-well, I wouldn't say amazing...but it was pretty cool of me."

"It was indeed. Holding yourself up, while being held onto by three full grown men and still being able to toss a glass bottle hard enough to shatter across someone's face? That's rather impressive." Quinn wraps her arms across her chest and nods.

"Of course! Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"And what was so desperate about our situation?"

"Hmph, I'm not sure what I would do if you got-" Quinn goes red in the face again and slaps her hands over her mouth to stop herself from speaking any further. I push myself away from her as she begins to slam her head against the doors while screaming into her hands.

She stops and looks to me. A single cough plus her fixing her posture tells me that everything is fine.

"So...you're not sure what you would do if I got-"

"Shut up." I smirk at her embarrassment and at the same time, my body presses against my seat as the carriage comes to a stop. The driver hops down and swings around to open the door for us. Quinn and I step down and thank him as we begin walking towards the palace doors, where a Jarvan who is pacing back and forth frantically is waiting.

We climb up the stairs as he rushes over to me with something urgent on his mind. "Talon, we've got something big going on right now." He looks to Quinn. "I'm not sure why Quinn's here, but you should probably be of help to this situation as well." I raise my arms out in front of me.

"Calm down, Jarvan. Just tell us what's wrong." He places his arms on his hips and sighs.

"An unknown assailant has murdered several guards in the lower shopping district." Quinn gasps while I look at him confused.

"An assailant? As in one person?" Jarvan nods. "You're kidding me, right?" He nods for no. "Did anyone get any details on this person?" Jarvan throws his hands in the air in frustration.

"No, that's the problem! No one survived to say anything about what happened. However," Jarvan grabs onto my shoulder and rests his hand there, "the cuts on the victims were that of an assassin." Quinn scoffs.

"A Demacian assassin?" It's now Quinn's turn to be confused.

"It's odd, I know. But, there was also signs of some sort of poison running through a few of the victims bodies before their deaths." Jarvan turns to me once more. "We don't have very many assassins in Demacia, which is why I believe there's an outside source involved with these killings."

"And so you turn to me to see if it has something to do with Noxus?" Jarvan is silent. He then turns his back to me.

"I know it's wrong to assume right off the bat that this has something to do with Noxus, but I'm not sure what else I can put the blame on." He faces me. "I'm not sure what good it'll do, but we currently have no leads, so please just head over to the scene of the crime and try and gather any information."

I nod my head and begin to walk to the carriage that is waiting for Quinn and I. Quinn runs up beside me and slightly tugs on my shirt. "What do you think of the situation right now?"

"I'm not sure what to think until I see the scene for myself. However, I do think that this night is turning out to be pretty interesting."

We step inside the carriage and ride off into the night once more.

* * *

**Noxus, House of DuCouteau**

"Right this way, sir." A servant leads Darius to Marcus's office, who has called him in for the very first meeting of the Crimson Elite. The servant opens the door, and Darius gets a major surprise when he steps inside.

"Riven?" The shy girl looks up to him and smiles.

"Well, if it isn't the brute himself." She walks to Darius and shakes his hand. "Glad to see you're alive and well."

Darius nods in agreement. "Glad to see T's escape plan actually worked out for the better." Marcus points at Darius.

"You know Miss Riven?" Darius laughs.

"Yeah. This little pain in the ass" he rubs her hair, causing her cheeks to go red, "got me to start a riot at the orphanage we were raised at so she could escape." Marcus begins to chuckle.

"So that means you've already met Talon as well?" Darius raises an eyebrow.

"Who's Talon?" Riven sighs.

"Can't you put two and two together? Talon is T's full name." Darius opens his mouth and sounds out a single, 'oh'.

A loud cough from behind Marcus's desk snaps Riven and Darius out of their reunion. Katarina comes around and reaches a hand out to Darius. "It looks like you might not care, but I'm Katarina...who's also a part of this team." Darius purposefully death grips their handshake as he thinks that this girl has a hint of attitude behind her words.

"Charmed." Katarina returns the death grip.

"The pleasure is all mine." They release each other's hands and Marcus begins to laugh.

"Now that introductions are over, let's get down to business." Darius, Kat, and Riven all stand tall before Marcus. "Welcome to the new and improved Crimson Elite! We'll definitely be on the hunt for more members, but this is a good start for a team in my opinion." Marcus reaches into his desk and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He takes one out and lights up before he speaks. "Now, before I send you all off onto missions and such, you must know how each other speaks, how each other fights, and how each other lives in general. A team that knows everything about everyone, is a team that can coordinate well in good or bad situations." Marcus takes a long drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke into multiple rings towards the ceiling. "So we're going to start with a fun icebreaker game!" All three of the Elite members look at one another confused. "You're all going to play..." Marcus digs into his desk once again, and pulls out a cup full of popsicle sticks, "the game of truths!" Darius begins to chuckle to himself. "Something on your mind, Darius?"

"Yes actually...how are we even supposed to play this stupid game with a popsicle stick?"

"Simple really, whoever draws the stick with the skull design on it gets to make someone tell them whatever they want to know. For example, 'number three, what's your favorite color'." Marcus places the cup down. "Everyone understand?" They all reluctantly nod their heads. "Alright then! Everyone please draw a stick!" Marcus and the Elites all grab their own popsicle stick. "Okay, so who's the king?" Kat raises her stick and sure enough, it has the skull design.

"Hmm...number two...who is the one person you would die for?" Riven raises her number two stick.

"Talon." Kat looks at her strangely.

"You would die for Talon?" She nods. "But why?"

"Because I love him." Darius nudges her shoulder.

"Aw, little Riven fell in love with T." He begins to pinch her cheek and speak in a squeaky tone. "Is big, brave T your big, brave knight- Oof!" Riven punches Darius in the stomach.

They all put their sticks back in the cup, and Marcus begins to move them around. "See? Isn't this fun!"

"Father, this is honestly stupid." Kat retorts.

"Hey! I don't need such rude language Agent Kitty Kat!"

"Stop calling me that!" Marcus laughs as he slams the cup back down. They all grab their sticks and prepare for the next round. Marcus smirks as he reveals himself to have the skull.

"Okay, number three...who do you know would be a great addition to the team?" Once again, Riven raises her stick to be the chosen number. Darius and Kat groan as they seem to know the answer already.

"Talon."

Darius and Riven toss their sticks on the ground as they both think that this is going to be a long game.

* * *

**Back in Demacia**

We arrive at the scene and notice that a large amount of guards are swarming the area. Crossbowmen are perched on nearby roofs, guard hounds roam the area, and grieving families of the deceased who were woken up with the news of the death of a loved one are standing outside in the permitted area. A man in a suit greets Quinn and I as we step out of the carriage.

"Sorry to force you guys over here last minute, but the Prince said you could be of use in helping us out." He begins to walk, so we follow. "The name's Conrad, and I'm the lead investigator of this case."

"Talon." "I'm Quinn." He bows his head as his response to our introductions.

"I'm not sure how our mystery person was able to pull this off, but there's no evidence to shine any light on who they are." He stops to lift the yellow crime scene tape up for us, and then steps under as well. "In all my years working as a detective, this is the most odd case I've ever been assigned to."

"Sounds like it must have been a skilled assassin to be able to get away as clean as this." Once we're at the crime scene, I notice that the outlines of where each guard was killed is relatively close to each other. I walk closer and notice that only one outline is separate from the others. That must of been the first one to be killed. The others were slaughtered in quick succession.

"Find something, Talon?" I turn to Quinn and nod.

"Whoever killed these guards is definitely a skilled assassin." I point to the outlines of the bodies. "They are all bunched together, meaning they were picked off very quickly, one after the other." I turn to Conrad.

"Can you show me the bodies?"

"Certainly. Just follow me." I begin to follow, but notice Quinn is standing still.

"Aren't you coming?" She rests her arms across her chest and violently nods her head.

"I'm...I'm not good with death and such." I shrug my shoulders and continue following Conrad. He opens the flap to a nearby tent, where there lies several black body bags. He tosses me a pair of latex gloves and begins to unzip the bags. As the faces of the deceased become revealed, my head begins to feel lighter than air. My knees go weak, and I can't help but fall to my knees. A voice in my head plays...but it's not me.

_"How could you forget about me...the greatest teacher you've ever had!" _I begin to feel nauseous. That clown...that fucking clown! _"I'm coming for you, Talon... I'm coming for you and your little girlfriends you've made in this city. I'll start with that blonde one..." _I force myself up and begin to run...I run as fast as I possibly can. I grab onto Quinn's arm and drag her with me as I run.

"Your fight is with me, Shaco! Leave Lux out of it!"

"Talon, who the hell are you talking to!" I ignore Quinn as I can hear the demonic laughter inside my head.

_"I will not only kill your physical body...I want to break you mentally, boy. Once I'm done with the one you're with, and this Lux girl...consider the ones you love in Noxus dead as well."_ He continues to laugh as I force the carriage we came in to take us to the Crownguard Household.

* * *

**I'm going to be gone for a few days everyone, so the next chapter will probably be posted within the next week...week and a half maybe. I don't know.  
Sorry I had to do this on a cliff hanger too, lol. But it's for good reasons! The University of Alabama has invited me over to go tour their school...**

**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! **

***ahem*...hmm...yes, well, see y'all at the next chapter!**


	34. Demon in Town

The carriage comes to a very rough stop just outside the gates of the Crownguard household. I shove the door open and hop down.

"Sir, I don't think you can be here without-"

"You" I point my blade at the carriage driver, "shut the fuck up!" I grab Quinn by the hand and help her down. "And thanks for the lift!" I once again break into a sprint, looking for a way to get inside. I know damn well that the Crownguards will not willingly allow a Noxian inside their home, so I'm going to go back to my roots and break in. Quinn violently pulls her hand away from my grip and begins to yell at me.

"Not once have you explained to me properly why you are going to break into the Crownguards home!" I attempt to get my breathing under control, but I can't help but rapidly breathe in and out.

"It's hard to explain...a voice in my head is taunting me..." She raises an eyebrow and rests her arms at her hips.

"A voice? In your head...?" I nod, so she sighs loudly. "You have officially lost your mind."

_"Don't be too beat up about it. Everyone's a little crazy!" _Shaco's cackling only angers me. I'm going to find this demon...and I'm going to kill him. _"You intend to kill me?" _His voice lowers. _"Not even the gods above can kill me. I've walked these lands for two hundred years, and you think I would let a rat who was kicked to the streets end me?" _He scoffs. _"Say goodbye to the only people who ever cared for you."_ After that...is silence. I turn my back to Quinn and begin to walk along the fence, searching for a way to get in.

Attempting to climb it would be an impossible feat for a human. The fence stands about ten feet tall, and is spiked at the tip. In a mix of adrenaline and panic, I use my arm blade to saw an opening in the fence. Quinn grabs my shoulder and stops me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"We need to get inside!"

"But why! You haven't given me a single straight answer!" I growl and return to my sawing.

"Something is after Luxanna Crownguard. And I'm not sure how much time we have left before it can get to her." Quinn is taken back by my first actual response.

"What do you mean something?" I rip the first bar out and begin to make the hole even larger for us to squeeze through.

"I'm not sure what the hell he is..."

"Who is he? You're really starting to freak me out, Talon..." I yank the second bar out and stand to face Quinn.

"A demon jester that goes by the name of Shaco." I toss the bar down and begin to saw at the third and final bar to allow us to fit inside.

"A demon...jester? You're kidding me, right?"

"Not one bit. He's an urban legend in Noxus that turned out to be a reality."

"And what makes you say that?" I remove the final bar and stop for a moment. The memories of being under the control of the Black Rose floods my mind and makes me feel a bit nauseous. "Are...are you okay? You're shaking, Talon." I guess I am...I can't help it though. The thought of not having any control over my body...being commanded to do the deeds of demons and monsters...it's enough to break the spirit of any normal human. Thankfully, I'm already fucked up in the head.

"That clown...was an old ally." Quinn makes some noise as if to retort, but the sound of my voice not having any hint of lies in it, silences her. I brush my hair with my hand and squeeze into the hole I made for us.

_"Who will get to Luxanna first...me? Or you?" _I say nothing as I look up at the windows of the mansion. All of the lights in the house seem to be off. I guess an organized family sleeps on a fixed schedule...or maybe it's just a Demacian thing. A faint, white light shines into the yard, so I crouch down and walk over to investigate.

The light is dim, but noticeable, and comes from the second story window. However, like a very cliché romance story, sits a tree that is able to reach the window.

"I need you to tell me if anyone is coming. Okay?" Quinn reluctantly nods, so I begin to climb the tree. I reach as high as I possibly can and look through the window. I spot Lux holding her hand up, using her light magic to help her read a book. I survey the yard and begin to call for Quinn to climb up as well. Once Quinn is halfway up the tree, I silently whistle at the window. Lux quickly closes her book and shines the light into the tree and smiles from ear to ear when she spots me. She runs up to the window and pushes it open.

"Well hello there, Talon." She rests her elbow on the window sill, then holds her chin up with her hand. "Coming to a lady's room at night is pretty bold."

"Listen to me Lux, and listen to me good." I fix my position in the tree to make sure I don't fall. "Someone is planning to kill you." Lux's smile doesn't falter, and upon hearing this news, she giggles.

"People are always trying to kill my family and I." Her voice drops to her psychotic tone. "This one will just end up like the rest..." I swallow the lump in my throat.

"You don't understand, this one is different." Quinn tugs at the back of my shirt. I look back and notice her hanging on for dear life against the trunk off the tree.

"Can you hurry this up! My arms are giving up on me!"

"Just...can we come inside, Lux?" She smiles.

"Of course you can!" I nod my thanks and jump in through the window. Quinn climbs up the tree and Lux yelps. "Wait...who's that?" Quinn jumps in through the window as well, and they immediately begin to stare at one another. "You...you're in my class aren't you?" Quinn nods. "And you're with..." Lux looks to me, then back at Quinn, "Talon?" Quinn blushes and nods again. I can sense something within Lux snap, and my heart begins to race. To my surprise, Lux just giggles. "Well, if you two are going to be my body guards to this supposed threat, then I'll treat you like guests!" She wraps her arm around Quinn's shoulder and begins to walk towards the door. I begin to follow, but Lux turns to face me. "Stay here, Talon. I'm going to show Quinn to her room, and then I'll show you to yours." I'm a bit confused why she can't show us at the same time, but I agree and sit on Lux's bed while I wait. They step out the door, and shut it behind them. I sit and look around the room since I have nothing else to do besides sit with my thoughts. For a girl's room, Lux's is very plain. The walls are painted a blank white, and everything is rather generic. No pattern on the sheets of her bed, no special rugs like in Cassie's room, and the only sign of this room belonging to a girl is the all white vanity, right in between two large bookshelves. I decide to browse the selection of books that Lux has in her room, so I stand up and walk over to the shelf.

Most of the books are about the history of various events, people, and places in Runeterra. However, there are also books on different types of magic. The one that catches my eye is a book titled, _'The Art of Magic: Invisibility and Other Stealth Abilities'_.

I take it off the shelf and begin to browse through it. The introduction is actually pretty interesting. It talks about how to check if you have any magical capability within you. The only magic I've known to have within me is my ability to teleport behind people's backs, which is pretty useful in my line of work. But then again...there was that time I did somehow manage to lose all those guards in broad daylight when I first got into Demacia. I'm still not sure how I did such a thing, so I continue reading on.

_'As we all know well, magic is present among humans and other humanoid-type creatures. The simplest way to check if you have the power to use magic, is to be examined by an experienced mage. If you do not have access to one, another way you could try is by focusing all your energy into the hand you use most on a day to day basis and checking if you can see your mana flow.' _

Mana...flow?

_'Your mana flow is the energy consumed when you use a magical ability. Common symptoms of low mana are, but not limited to, fatigue, nausea, headaches, muscle spasms, and in some extreme cases, death.' _

Sounds a lot like that day as well...I was teleporting all over the place, and then I just lost all my energy.

_'Once you focus all your energy to your hand, your mana should be visible in the veins. It should shine a blue color, but if it doesn't, immediately seek out an experienced mage for further assistance.'_

Hmm...no harm in trying I suppose. I place the book down and look to my hand that is strapped into my blade. I close my eyes and hold my breath thinking it will help me focus on sending my energy into my hand. I jump out of surprise when I actually feel something flowing through my veins. I open my eyes and look at my hand in shock. The energy...is pure black. The sound of the door opening breaks my concentration, so the black energy disappears. Lux steps inside, and shuts the door behind her. She a blank expression on her face as she presses her back against the door. She shifts her hands all while staring at me, and locks the door. Her stare sends shivers down my spine and I begin to think that maybe I should just escape through the window while I still can. Her eyes move down to the book on her bed, then moves back to me.

"What're you reading there." I grab the book and show her the cover.

"Just a book about magic...and what not." Lux slowly nods her head.

"I see...I see." We stare at each other in silence, even though I know I should be more focused on Shaco's threats. But to be honest...Lux is scarier than that clown. She licks her lips and pushes herself off the door. I need to calm her down...I guess I'll try and small talk her.

"You're an experienced mage, right?"

"I guess I am..."

"Then can you tell me...why my mana flow isn't blue?" Lux stops her psychotic side.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...it's black." Lux sits next to me on the bed and begins to remove my blade. She faces my palm to the ceiling so she can see my veins.

"Can you show me?" I focus all my energy into my wrist until I feel the flow in my arm. Lux begins to lightly rub my wrist, which sends shivers down my spine. "This is pretty cool! Sit still, I'm positive I have a book that can tell me what's wrong!" She stands up and rushes to the bookshelves. She uses her finger to point as she scans through everything that is on display. She mouths a silent cheer, and pulls out a book titled _'Magical Anatomy'_. She begins to flick through the pages quickly, giving them all a lightning fast once-over. She suddenly stops her page hopping and begins to silently read. Lux nods a few times and places the book back in its place. "According to that book, the reason for your black mana it is most likely due to emotional blockage." I scoff.

"I don't block any emotions. What are the other reasons?"

"The only other reason would be that you're dead." I sit with a blank expression, and start to go red. Lux begins to hold in her laughter as I hang my head in shame of my lies. "Let's be honest here, you're a pretty stoic guy."

"I disagree with you there." Lux lets out a single, sarcastic laugh.

"I've met brick walls who were more honest with themselves!"

"And I've met demons who weren't as crazy as you." She crosses her arms and smiles.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Lux walks over, and sits next to me on the bed. She then throws herself onto her back and sprawls out. "So...you were with Quinn before you came here?"

I try to distract myself from what I assume to be an obsessed girl's attempt of interrogation, so I look at myself through the reflection of my blade. "Yes. What of it?"

"Nothing, nothing." She begins to sway her feet, bumping into my leg over and over again. "Just curious."

I smirk thinking, here we go. "About?"

"Your relationship with her. She's a pretty awkward girl...well, I get that from what I see in school, but she's gorgeous, and a lot of guys are infatuated with her dorky personality and good looks. So, I wouldn't be surprised if you like her, too." I can't help but laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing much, it's just that it seems like every time a girl wants to talk to me, it's always about other girls in my life. An occasional, how was your day, or, who did you kill today, would be a nice change of pace." Lux slowly sits back up, and brings her knees to her chest so she can wrap her arms around it.

"Sorry..."

"There's no need to be sorry. I'm just venting a bit."

There's silence for a few moments. Only the cool, mellow breeze flowing through the night can be heard. Instinctively, I grab Lux's head, and push it into my chest and hold my blade out. A loud clash of metal sounds through the still house. I release Lux's head, and we both jump into a fighting stance. After a few moments, nothing else emerges, so we look to her bed and find a jagged dagger that has a small note attached around the base. I keep my eyes outside the window and reach for the note. Lux rushes around her bed and shuts the window, so I relax and begin to read.

_'Dear friend, student, and enemy,  
As much as I'd love to continue our little game of cat and mouse, I do have other matters to attend to. Get excited, cause it's going to get weird!_

_Love, Shaco AKA The person who's going to kill you'_

I crumple the paper into a little ball and toss it into a trash bin by Lux's vanity.

"What...what the hell was that?"

"Like I said, there's someone who was out to get you."

"Yeah, but that was the first person who actually TRIED to get me!" I nod my head in disapproval.

"There is such a huge personality difference between you and your psycho side."

* * *

**Noxus, Crimson Elite's first mission**

Riven and Darius walk through the ghetto's shopping district, each concealing a short sword in their waist lines. From the rooftops, Katarina stalks the Elite's target; an ex-soldier who has murdered his family, and managed to escape prison by killing the guards tasked with watching him with a bloody shank made from rat bones. While it would be easier to just toss a few daggers into the man's back, the possibility of innocents being struck by accident is a risk she would rather not take. Katarina attempts to crouch out of view when the man suddenly stops moving. She's not quick enough to avoid his sight, so he breaks out into a sprint. Riven and Darius instantly take chase, and begin to shove their way through the crowd. Kat jumps down to street level, and cuts the man off as he tries and takes a turn down an alleyway. Riven and Darius then block the man in, so he pulls out a sword that was hidden under his cloak. The man swings at Kat, but she ducks down and tosses two daggers into his stomach. He stumbles backwards right into Riven, so he swings back, but she catches his arm and snaps it with ease. She then spins him around, practically tossing him into the hands of Darius, who lifts him up around the neck and squeezes with all his might. A loud crunch echoes through the alley, so Darius releases the man and watches as he falls to the floor like a puppet with no strings.

Darius cracks his knuckles. "Hmph, that was too easy."

Riven moves her bangs from covering her right eye. "I agree."

Darius picks up the man's body, and tosses him over his shoulder. "It would of been easier, had Kitty here not been spotted." Kat wants to make a comeback for Darius's swipe at her, but all she can do is laugh as if she is superior. She knows that she made a mistake, and she's beating herself up about it. She doesn't need someone else's added jabs.

"We still got the job done, that's all that matters." Darius scoffs and begins to walk deeper into the alleyway.

"Keep telling yourself that, Kitty." Riven looks at Kat, then quickly follows Darius.

Kat stands there alone and sighs loudly. Riven and Darius have experience fighting and killing others, while Kat herself is new to this. When she is positive no one can hear her, she looks to the ground with a sad expression. "I'm an amateur..." Defeated, Kat begins to walk deeper into the alley, following Riven and Darius.

* * *

**Alabama was pretty cool! As a Californian though, I felt so out of place haha.  
It was fun, and the University of Alabama has such a beautiful campus!  
If anyone ever gets the opportunity to visit/attend that school, I'd say do it!**

**Also, I want to thank everyone who reads/reviews/favorited/followed/messages me! I'm so glad I have you guys helping me improve as a writer!**

**See y'all at the next chapter!**


	35. Draven's New Groove

**The Next Morning, Demacia**

Before I knew it, I ended up falling asleep while trying to console Lux all night long. She just couldn't fathom that someone in Demacia would actually make an attempt on her life. _'This one will just end up like the rest...' _Ha! What a load of crap. However, I do think that if given the opportunity, Lux would have no problem melting the faces off whoever tried to harm her. I've seen her do it once before, I'm positive she would do it again.

Her light movements wake me from my sleep, so I slightly open an eye to see her reasoning for getting up so early. She sits up and rubs her face, then stretches her arms high above her head while yawning, and finally puts her head back down on my chest to go back to sleep.

More sleep...perfect.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Oh shit, I forgot about Quinn!" Lux jumps up from the bed, causing me to fall to the floor. I quickly stand up and rub the back of my head.

"Huh...what...what do you mean?" Lux begins to tap her two index fingers together while looking down to the floor.

"Well...last night, I planned on teasing her a little bit...but then you distracted me and what not, so...I kind of forgot that I..." She mumbles something that I can't hear.

"What?" She mumbles it again. "Speak up!"

"I tied her up in one of the guest rooms so she would be forced to watch you and I make out!" I stare at Lux in silence.

"Which...room." She opens the door and checks the hallway.

"Well, we just can't walk-"

"Which room!" Lux swallows the lump in her throat.

"Like I said, I'm not sure if anyone is up right now-" There's a few knocks on the door.

"Lux, it's Garen. I'm just wondering if I should leave your friend tied up in the guest room or let her down." There's a pause as the giant oaf takes a break to drink a glass of, what I assume to be water. "Also, breakfast will be ready soon." Lux pushes the door for it to be ajar.

"Okay, thanks. And leave my friend to me, I'll let her down soon." Lux flies back as the door slams open.

"I knew I heard another voice! Don't think you can taint my sister, and my Katarina!" Garen chucks his empty glass at me, but I duck down in time as it shatters against the wall. When I come back up, he lunges over the bed, and tackles me to the floor. He hits me across the face, once with each hand, but I'm able to catch his fists. He sits on top of me and we hold our hands in a game of mercy, trying to get the upper hand on each other. A pair of footsteps rush up the stairs, and yank Garen off of me.

"Son, you must be calm!" A frail man, and a rather muscular woman each take an arm from Garen and pull him back.

"I'll kill this Noxian! Release me! He must die!"

"Noxian?" The muscular woman takes hold of Garen as the frail man walks over to inspect me. "You. Are you the one the Prince has allowed to assist Demacia?" I wipe the bit of blood that falls out of my mouth off with my sleeve.

"I am." I stand up as he seems to frown upon me. "I know it may seem very misleading to find me in your daughter's room-"

"It better be a misleading situation, boy." A small ball of light begins to form in his hands, and it gradually becomes bigger.

"The truth of the situation, is that someone had an attempt on Luxanna's life, so I rushed over here to prevent that." The ball of light disappears as he raises an eyebrow to inspect my expressions. He turns to Lux, who stands nervously by the vanity.

"Is this true, sweetie?" Lux nods softly.

"Aye, father. It's true." The magical power that was building in the man's hand fades away. The man raises his nose to the air, as a way to act snobby to me.

"You will not receive words of thanks for guarding my daughter's life, Noxian." The bulky woman walks to the man and clamps down on his shoulder roughly, causing him to drop to his knees in pain.

"Ignore my husband, mister...?" Lux speaks for me.

"Talon! His name is Talon." The woman sticks a hand out, so I reach out as well and grasp on for a handshake. Instead, her grip is like a vise, crushing down so hard it feels as if I'm going to break.

"And what's your relationship" she clenches down harder and walks closer as if to emphasize her height advantage, "with my daughter?"

I grab onto her hand with both of mine and attempt to pull free, but with no success. "C-c-coworkers!" She loosens up, so I yank my hand away from her and begin to shake off the pain. "I...I can see where that brute gets his strength..." Lux's mother places her arms across her chest and stands there snidely. "Well, if that is all...I'll grab Quinn and be on my way." I walk past the glares of the Crownguard family, but Lux cuts me off before I can leave the room.

"Wait, come on! You should stay for breakfast at least!" I look back at the glaring trio of Crownguards and shudder to imagine what might become of me if I stay.

"I've got business to take care of."

Lux's father stands up and comes to my defense. "Yes, sweetie, he has business to take care of!" Then her mother.

"Yeah, so let him go!" I look to Lux and shrug. I then bend over and grab my blade off the floor and continue walking, but Lux grabs me by the collar and stops me once more.

"Why are you so insistent on this Noxian trash staying, Luxanna?" Garen finally joins in. Lux turns to her family and takes a deep breath.

Oh god...please don't tell me she's about to say what I think she's going to say. Just to be safe, I start walking down the hallway in search of Quinn to give me a head start. A few doors down, I find Quinn asleep, and cocooned in rope, but at the same time, I hear the deadly words I feared Lux was going to say to her family. "I'm in love with Talon." The sudden charge of angry footsteps motivates me to move forward and cut Quinn down. I don't have time to completely free her, so I toss her over my shoulder and begin looking for a way out. Unfortunately, the Crownguards block the doorway, and force me to smash through the window and jump into the yard. Once down there, I begin running for dear life, looking for the hole I cut into the fence last night. Once I find it, I toss Quinn through, and look back before I go through as well. Lux's father pokes his head out the window and yells out to me.

"Don't think this is over you damned, Noxian scum!" I smirk as I grab Quinn and continue with my escape.

* * *

**Noxus, House of DuCouteau**

Katarina lays on her bed and clings to her pillow in a silent guilt trip. Why isn't she as good as people expected her to be in combat? Why is she not as stealthy as Talon? The thought of Talon begins to make her wonder...if only he was here, could she learn how to be a good assassin. She pulls the pillow closer as she tries to remember Talon's face. How could she have forgotten?

Say what you will about him, but Kat couldn't deny that he is an amazing ally. Calm under pressure, never second guesses on the killing blow, and isn't afraid to get the job done by any means necessary. He was the spitting image of a perfect assassin...and possibly the perfect man. She places the pillow over her face and yells into it. Why is she thinking of him like that? He's still a boring, silent, psychopath! But...he was always there to listen to her whenever she was venting her frustrations...whenever she needed someone to challenge her...whenever she had a bad or good day at school, he was there...

Kat whispers to herself, with a deep red blush on her face. "Why did you leave, Talon..." At that moment, the door swings open, startling Kat enough to grab the dagger she keeps by her bed and throw it. The person who was coming in is able to block it in time with door. The door slowly opens, and Cassie pokes her head in.

"Umm...good morning?" Kat sighs.

"I'm sorry, don't scare me like that! Please knock!" Cassie puts one finger on her lips.

"Oh? Were you doing...things...in here?"

"Stop being gross, Cassie..."

"I bet you were thinking of Talon." Kat yelps.

"N-no!"

"You're blushing! Liar!" Kat covers her face with her pillow and lays down on her bed.

"No!" Kat slams her hands down on the bed in embarrassment. "What the hell do you want anyways!"

"Riven and Darius are downstairs. They asked me to call you." Kat rears her head back in confusion. What could they want? They earned a day off after yesterday's success.

"Alright, tell them I'll be down in a moment." Cassie shuts the door, as Kat hops off her bed and changes out of her pajamas, into a black tank top and blue jeans. She looks in the mirror and brushes her head a few times with her hand. Once she deems herself presentable, she leaves her room and heads into the living room to find Darius and Riven sitting there, chatting. They become silent as Kat approaches and simultaneously rise from their seats.

"Hey, buddy!" Darius says it sarcastically, so Kat clenches her fists.

"What..."

"Hey, hey, hey...no need to get so defensive, and" he exhales in shock, "did you do something with your hair, because it looks so gorgeous!" Kat taps her fingers impatiently on her hips. She then looks to Riven.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He wants to know if you could convince your father to give his brother a job." Darius wraps his hand around Riven's mouth.

"Whoa, whoa...let's not throw out some false accusations there...buuuuut, buuuuuuuut" Riven begins to struggle, so Darius wraps two arms around her, "now that Riven here brought it up, maybe you could just...I don't know...toss that idea over to Marcus...maybe?" Darius yells out in pain as Riven bites down onto his hand. He swings it quickly up and down. "That fucking hurt!"

"Only Talon can hold me like that!" Darius begins to massage his hand.

"God damn...love struck ass..." He sighs and looks to Kat. "Alright, in all seriousness, my brother needs a job. Myself alone can't pay for the two of us to stay out of poverty, so..." He looks to the ground in shame since he's practically begging Katarina to put in a good word for his brother. "So I turn to your family to help him, no...help _us_ out." She seems to forget about yesterday's mistake as she once again feels superior to Darius. He came to her to beg like a starving dog. Katarina smirks and turns her head away, all snobby.

"Hmm...well since you begged to me like the peasant you are" Darius flinches at the sound of Katarina's insult, "I suppose I could talk to my father about any openings he knows of..." Darius seems to genuinely smile. "But" his smile falters, "I think I should meet him before I go ahead and vouch for him." Darius begins to shake nervously, and Riven begins to try and hold in laughter that's building up. "What's the matter?"

"W-well...I brought my brother with me...his name is Draven, and well...he's a bit...eccentric."

"That's fine. Where is he at?" Riven can't seem to control her laughter anymore, and begins to laugh loudly as Darius yells for her to shut up. She excuses herself and steps out onto the patio, and at that same moment, Draven steps inside. He takes one look at Kat and licks his lips in a seductive way...or at least it was meant to be seductive. Katarina takes a few steps back and cringes, while Darius smacks himself in the face.

"Hey there, beautiful...Draven's the name, and looking good's my game!"

* * *

**My take on Draven becoming the Glorious Executioner, while in Demacia it will be my take on the Quinn/Talon part of their lore.  
Also, new cover photo! It's an alley that I believe represents my idea of what a Noxian slum type alleyway would look like.  
And while all this is going on, I'm working on a chapter 1 rewrite, so if anyone would like to volunteer themselves to read the new/old chapter 1 and tell me which is better, I'd be very appreciative! (_WARNING_: Chapter 1 was the worst chapter in my opinion, came into this writing shit with little to no experience)**

**Please read/review, and thanks for reading!**


	36. Job Opportunities and Demons

"...and believe me, Draven has been in tons of fights, but thanks to these bad boys" Draven flexes, showing off some rather unimpressive/nonexistent biceps, "Draven hasn't lost a single one." Katarina holds back her laughter as she has now began to enjoy this little show by Darius's little brother. Darius however, holds his head down in his hands in embarrassment, while Riven is dying of laughter outside on the porch. "So yeah...Draven has done a lot of talking about Draven. Tell me about yourself now...but it would be understandable if you'd love to hear more about" he slicks his hair back, "Draaaaven..."

"Well..." Kat chokes on a giggle, "what can you do that would impress my father." Darius grabs Draven, and covers his mouth before he can speak.

"He'll do whatever he can get, as long as it pays." Draven slides Darius's hand off his mouth for a moment.

"Draven has higher standards than that!" Darius smacks his hand back over his brother's mouth.

"Like I said; if it pays, he'll do it." Kat eyes the struggling the Draven as Darius holds him back from performing any further actions on his own. She then scans Darius, and catches a pleading look in his eyes. The thought of having the power over these two men's careers puts a small grin on her face like the sadist she is. Kat stands up and nods.

"I suppose it is the duty of the nobles to assist the lower class...I'll tell my father about job openings for your..." she looks down at Draven still being held down by Darius, but he manages to wink as their eyes meet, "your brother..."

Darius smiles, and bows his head in gratitude. "I really appreciate this, Kat!" And with that, Darius steps out of the house, with Draven in hand. She looks out the window, and watches as Darius begins to yell at Draven for 'being an idiot'. Katarina flips her hair and scoffs as she thinks about how much of a pain it is to heed the wishes of peasants. A slow clap jots her out of her thoughts as she looks to the second floor. There, Cassie begins to make her descent down the stairs, slowly clapping in a sarcastic manner.

"Look at you...being all nice to people all of a sudden." Kat snorts.

"Pfft, me? Nice?" She looks away from Cassie and begins to scan her fingernails. "I was merely listening to the problems of a commoner, as all good nobles should do." Cassie takes a seat on the couch and crosses her legs.

"You felt sad when you saw Darius's expression, didn't you?"

"How did you- I mean, no way!" Kat tries as hard as she can to cover up the truth, but her sister is just too observant. Kat sighs as she begins to fumble her words attempting to come up with a lie, but decides she cannot lie to Cassie. "Okay, fine...I felt sorry for them." Kat takes a seat next to her sister. "It's just...that ever since Talon came into our lives, I started to realize how well off we are compared to the rest of Noxus."

"You can't think like that, Katarina. Our father and mother have earned everything we own, and we work hard now so we can be deserving of such things as well-"

"Yeah, I know that!" Kat interrupts Cassie, loudly. "But...all I have going for me are my combat skills...and yet Talon, Darius, and even Riven are all stronger than I am...they deserve better because they are better!" Cassie is stunned to hear Kat talk badly about herself. Not knowing what to say, she gives her sister a pat on the shoulder, then walks up the stairs and into her room, leaving Katarina alone with her thoughts.

**Demacia**

Quinn and I are able to catch our breath in an alleyway that was pretty secluded from the main road. Walking around with a girl duct taped, and bound by rope would be one of the quickest ways to be thrown out of Demacia, I'm sure. I grab my blade and make a quick cut on the binding, releasing Quinn. She grabs onto the tape covering her mouth and begins to count in her head, so I begin to mouth off numbers, too, while I watch.

One...

Two...

_***RIIIIP***_

"Ow! Fuck!" Quinn begins to tear up as she falls onto the ground, gripping her lips. She sits up and begins to breathe in and out, repeatedly. Once she collects herself, she looks up to me. "You couldn't help me out of that terrifying place any sooner?"

"I had problems of my own." Quinn sarcastically laughs.

"Oh yeah, pissing off the whole Crownguard family." She nods her head from side to side to show how annoyed she is with me. "You put that on yourself."

"I really didn't...besides, we have bigger problems than some teenage girl's forbidden love scandal." Quinn goes red in the face.

"It isn't a scandal! My love is pure!" She smacks her hands over her mouth and yells into them as she has said too much. I raise an eyebrow.

"Come on, I consider it forbidden since it's going to be nearly impossible for you to claim Jarvan's heart." Quinn appears to lose some life in her. "You alright? You look a bit pale."

"I...I'm fine." She lazily waves her around. "Thanks for reminding me about how stupid a guy can be..."

"Umm...you're welcome? Anyways, we need to get back to the palace and talk to Jarvan or the king. Shaco is not something that can be fought with mere guards."

"You seem pretty freaked out by this Shaco guy..." I laugh softly.

"I'm downright scared. Not of him, but of what he can do. The legend goes that if you cross paths with the Demon Jester, you don't live to tell the tale." Quinn seems a bit confused.

"So...he just kills you?"

"Yep."

"No reason?"

"Yep."

"That's a pretty lame legend."

"Well it's true, and he's a serial killer. He doesn't need a reason. Anyways, let's just head back to the palace for now."

**Elsewhere in Demacia**

"You can run...but you can't hide."

A woman who's clothes are torn and bloodied is running down a long, narrow side street. The street is empty and echoes as she yells out for help. She tries to run faster and faster, but the whisper only seems to get closer.

"The Light has abandoned you...only death remains."

Tears begin to rush down the woman's face as she trips and onto her hands and knees. Demonic laughter and footsteps causes her to curl up into a ball.

"Please don't cry. You'll make Shaco sad!"

The woman begins to shake and cry out louder in hopes someone will hear her.

"I said..." Shaco grabs the woman by her hair and lifts her up, "be quiet!" He jams a dagger into her neck, causing her to choke on her blood. He then begins to make a sawing motion, and soon the head detaches from the body. Using the hair as a strap, he starts to swing the head in a circular motion and leaves the body in the middle of the street.

* * *

**Getting back into writing this story. Sorry that it's short, but I've been really busy with football. **

**The offer to play for Alabama/USC has become very competitive, so I've been grinding hard as hell this past month trying to be the best that I can be. **

**Next update...not sure when it'll be posted. Currently practicing hard as hell for the play-offs. I will be back to update as usual around winter break though. But I'll try and post often before that as well.**


	37. Back in Action

As Quinn and I walk through the palace gates, guards rush over to us, and practically drag us indoors. Once inside, a furious Jarvan and a busy palace is all we can see. Guards quickly rush in and out of the doors, attempting to dispatch all over the city in search of a serial killer.

Jarvan comes up to me, and grabs my shirt and lifts me up to match his height. He scowls as I stare blankly at him.

"Where...were you?" is all he mutters.

"If you'd let me down, I'll explain-"

"Start fucking talking! I've been calling you all night long!" he puts me down as I fix my collar and take a deep breath in preparation for the story he needs to hear.

"I know who the murderer is in the case of the slain guards." I say proudly, hoping to take a loud off the Prince's schedule. Instead, he smacks his forehead and grunts.

"Yes, we do, too! Because that same demon murdered a very important political advisor to my father, and about several other citizens last night and this morning! And all the while this was happening, I was told by Detective Conrad, you took Quinn and ran off into the night!" Jarvan's arms begin to shake in anger. "So you've better have a pretty damn good excuse, or I will get angry, Talon..." Jarvan slowly begins to creep towards me, so I take a few slow steps back and begin to explain my whereabouts.

"That demon...attempted to assassinate Lux. I stopped his attack, but he just vanished after failing." Jarvan slowly begins to walk in a circle as he massages his temples.

"Alright, Talon, that was a pretty good excuse I'll give you that..." he sighs loudly and walks to the large staircase in the center of the foyer. He sits down and looks me dead in the eye, which sends a chill down my spine. "However, that's not the worst of it." Curious as to what can be worst than a violent monster on the loose, I rest my arms at my side and lean towards the seated man. As I lean closer to hear his muttering words, he reaches out and grabs both of my arms, so I cannot move. I try to wrench myself free, but before I can wriggle loose, a swarm of Royal Soldiers storm into the room. They surround me, aiming their spears and swords, threatening to use deadly force if I even attempt to do anything.

Quinn begins yelling at the soldiers to release me, but they shove her back, and eventually out of the room. I look to Jarvan, as the men remove my weapons, and notice that he won't even look me in the eye. He looks at the ground and just repeatedly says 'I'm sorry' quietly to himself, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Why...?" I say lowly. He doesn't look at me, but he places his mouth next to my ear so he can whisper.

"My father doesn't believe a demon assassinated his advisor...and the blame falls on you since you're the only known assassin in Demacia..." his grip on my arms gets rougher as his voice becomes more hoarse, "but I believe you're the scapegoat. The public would be thrown into a panic if they thought a killer clown was in the city..." Jarvan finally looks at me, and shouts his final words to me before I'm placed into handcuffs, "I am so fucking sorry!"

As the cuffs are clapped on, I am yanked backwards, and forced to walk forward as I feel a spear dig into my back. My mind begins racing at a million miles per hour. Naturally, I want to use my abilities to break free and slaughter everyone who attempts to stop me from escaping, however, for the first time in my life I'm thinking of the well-being of Noxus. Acting out in a delicate situation like this could possibly lead to another war, and most definitely get traced back to Marcus and have the entire DuCouteau family take a short drop with a quick stop.

The palace doors open, and a carriage with a cage that looks like something out of a circus, awaits me at the gates. I smirk to myself as nostalgia washes over me. I step inside and take a seat with my back to the bars, close my eyes, and ignore the insults and death threats from the guards.

After a few minutes of waiting around, the carriage begins to get a move onto what I assume to be my final stop.

I begin to think about what a Demacian prison is like, and think it can't be as bad as a Noxian one.  
But then again...I am a Noxian who is accused of assassinating a politician and murdering multiple civilians and guards...

So things might not end up well for little 'ol me.  
Oh well...it was a fun ride while it lasted.

Shame the last day of my life is going to be spent behind the cold, iron bars of some government run basement they call a dungeon. But this is what I get...a divine punishment for a bad man who's committed many atrocities.

The temptation grows to just use my power and run...run and continue on living. Just don't think of the consequences...but I simply couldn't do that.

After all...I have a family I need to think about...

I shut my eyes and try to relive this past year through memories. Being trained by Marcus...sleeping in an actual bed...enjoying the food of royalty...meeting an array of interesting people...

"Well isn't that touching!" A familiar voice snaps me into reality as I open my eyes and spot the Demon Jester, Shaco, sitting on the opposite side of the carriage from me. He approaches me with a dagger in hand, but to my surprise, he swings with all his might and breaks the cuffs off my wrists. He looks at me and grins from ear to ear as the carriage comes to a sudden stop, followed by the cries of pain from the guards driving the vehicle. Silence follows the cries, and a Shaco clone unlocks the carriage for us. I'm hesitant to get up, but the clown hops out, and beckons for me to follow.

"Give me one reason why I should listen to you, clown?" I slide the broken cuffs off my wrist, as I watch Shaco's clone disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"No tricks this time, dear student!" He bends down, and grabs my blade, then tosses it at my feet. "I've grown bored of killing these weaklings, and I'm curious to see what you've learned from me!" Shaco chuckles and begins to juggle his daggers as he backs away from the carriage. I keep an eye on him as I begin to strap my blade to my arm. Once I feel the blade is secure, I slowly stand up and inch my way out of the cage. A small splash startles me as I hop out, so I look down and see that I've stepped in a pool of blood that has just splattered all over my shoes and pant legs. "Oh, my bad. Forgot to tell you to watch your step!"

"Don't worry about it...so, uhh...how are we doing this?" I begin to circle Shaco as he does the same.

"I'll let you make the first move, isn't that what a good teacher would do?" His smile unnerves me, so I smile back.

"No, no, no, I insist you make the first move!" Shaco's smile falters, but he lets out a small giggle.

"Please...what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't let you go first!" I nod my head from side to side.

"And what kind of student would I be if I never learned how to engage properly from my teacher!"

"Well...since you're asking for it..." Shaco stops moving as his smile turns into a frown.

A small gust of air activates my reflexes, so I duck down and look back to spot a Shaco clone coming at me from behind. I focus my mind, and place myself behind the clone and immediately lift my blade up to block a flying dagger from the real Shaco. The barrage of attacks from both clowns puts me on the defensive, as I slowly become pushed back. My focus momentarily breaks, as I slip on some blood from one of the dead guard's. Shaco uses my mistake against me, and kicks my chest to push me to the ground. Shaco and his clone lunge towards me, aiming their daggers at my body. I place my blade over my chest, and use my left hand to help push back the four knives coming down at me. The attack recoils Shaco, giving me a chance to guess which one is the real him, so I swing to the one on the right and slash his legs.

Unfortunately, it disappears in a cloud of smoke, followed by his annoying laughter. "Wrong one!" He says tauntingly.

"I can fucking see that!" I yell out in frustration as I hop onto my feet.

Now in a one on one situation, I begin to feel as if I have the advantage now, so I thrust my blade forward. Shaco steps to the side so I slash left only to be parried by his daggers. Annoyed with the fact that I just can't seem to hit him, I begin to swing wildly as he just blocks everything. However, I notice he can't seem to keep up with his defense due to my blade being much, much larger than his knives, so even though I don't have the energy to continue swinging at this speed, I force myself to do so.

His defense breaks, and I finally see the opening I've been waiting for. I throw my entire body behind my blade, and dig right into his chest...but a familiar sting in my stomach causes me to remove my blade from his chest and jump backwards. I look down, and spot both of his daggers stuck inside my body. I look up at him as he smiles and coughs up blood.

"T-tie game..." He mutters as he attempts to chuckle, but stops immediately when all that comes out is blood, and vanishes before my eyes.

I tap the hilt of the daggers that are inside me, and decide it would be best to leave them alone as to not cause my blood to come pouring out of my body. My legs begin to wobble, so I sit down, and look at my surroundings. I never noticed it, but the carriage was taking me outside of the city...

Classic Demacia...needs to keep everything perfect so the prisons are not inside the city. Maybe I could escape now? I attempt to get up, but my body grows numb, so I fall onto my back like a rag doll and stare at the blinding sun.

How humiliating...I'll never know if my final blow killed that demon, but I get the feeling that his might kill me.

As I lay there, I think back to how many near death situations I was put in this past year alone...and about seventy-five percent of them were Kat's fault. You would think after the amount of times I've been stabbed, I'd grow an immunity to knives. Or with the amount of sexual advances from any of the girls I've met, I'd have been a father to at least three kids.

The more I think about it, the more I begin to fear dying right here. There's so much I haven't experienced...and so much that I could but choose not to. Maybe, when...no...if I somehow get back to Noxus...I'm going to take a long vacation to enjoy the things a guy my age should do...maybe I'll enroll in school...maybe I'll try that love thing out...maybe...all maybes, but never a promise. How pathetic of me...to not even be able to promise myself to live a proper life. I need to get my act right, but first...I'll just take a little nap...to rest my mind...

Just a nap...

**In the skies above Talon**

Valor looks down and spots a grizzly scene below where multiple mutilated men lay dead, but he spots the familiar glimmer of a blade that belongs to the man he is looking for. With his job complete, he flaps his large wings, and speeds past the walls of Demacia. He dives down and hears a whistle coming from an alleyway. He flies towards the alley, and onto the arm of Quinn.

"Did you find him, Valor?" He squawks loudly, and coos frantically. "What! We've got to get there quick before the guards find him!" Quinn lifts her arms above her head, as Valor takes off, making sure Quinn is able to follow.

As Quinn runs, and her legs begin to hurt, and her lungs can't work any faster to take in more air, she wonders why she is willing to go through all this trouble to help someone like...like _him_. However, all her hesitation disappears as she finally comes across the blood bath that was Talon's final stand. In the center of the carnage, lies a familiar black-haired devil boy with two daggers protruding from his abdomen. Quinn goes white in the face, but rushes over to him places to fingers at his neck, and sighs in relief when she feels a small beat.

Knowing that the commotion has definitely attracted the attention of the guards, Quinn grabs Talon by the legs and begins to drag him off the road, and into the forest. She whistles loudly for Valor, and he immediately takes a landing in a nearby tree.

"Val, I'm going to need you to look for any places we can hide out, and also warn me if you see any guards heading in our direction. Got it?" Valor nods his head, and launches back into the sky as Quinn continues to drag the unconscious Talon from view. "You damn, Noxian...always causing me problems...and putting me in shitty situations..." She looks at Talon, and then the daggers inside of him, and begins to tear up. "I'll kill you if you die on me, Talon! You hear me? So please...don't die..." Quinn wipes the tears from her eyes, and continues dragging him further into the forest.

* * *

**I have committed to the University of Alabama for 4 years on a fully-paid football scholarship. **

**ROLL TIDE!**


	38. Close Call

Valor glides across the sky, majestic and bold, until he spots something that could be of use to his partner. He places his wings upon his side and dives straight towards the earth, but comes to a gentle stop in a nearby tree branch.

"What did you see up there, Val?" He squawks once, and faces his beak towards the directions of an abandoned shack sitting in the forest. Quinn takes a deep breath, and continues to drag Talon into the forest. She waves her hand to Valor, and aims at the sky as she walks. "Stay on the lookout, Val."

Almost immediately, Valor hops off the branch and takes off back into the sky and out of sight, leaving Quinn alone with the unconscious Talon. She can hear his muttering, so it's rather soothing to her to know that he is at least still alive. However, what he is saying she can't understand, but it definitely appears to make him happy as he smiles and chuckles every now and then.

_"If only you knew the situation you were in, you wouldn't be laughing you idiot..."_ Quinn thinks to herself.

**Meanwhile...inside the mind of Talon**

I know that I'm inside my own mind as there is nothing but white all around me. I assume that I'm close to dying once again, and quickly come to terms with it, so I just decide to walk to keep me distracted. I soon come upon a lone hooded figure sitting on a bench. The figure has a large scythe leaning on the bench, and in its hand, it looks like a martini. The figure quickly downs the drink into the darkness of its hood as it sees me approaching. It tosses the empty glass off to the side, and reveals its skeletal hands as it motions for me to take a seat next to it.

Since it's my imagination, I decide there's no harm in doing so, so I take a seat. The hooded figure sits in silence as it reaches under its robe and pulls out a notepad. The sound of pages flipping is all that I can hear, but then it abruptly stops with a 'there we are'. The figure then takes a look at me as I stare into the darkness of its hood.

"Talon...yes?"

I nod my head in response, so it looks back at its notepad and begins to make a 'tsk' sound.

"Looks like you're going to Hell, buddy."

The hooded figure's voice is deep, yet refined, but his words confuse me. "Umm...what?"

He looks at his notepad as he clears his throat and places a finger to help him keep track of where he's reading. "Let's see...a lot of murders, multiple armed robberies, two dozen assaults, rioting, manslaughter, membership in a cult...yep. There's, like, zero chance at redemption for you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He laughs, and tosses his notepad away. "Do you know who I am?" I nod for no so he stretches his bones out above his head. "Well, I'm the Grim Reaper...but you can just call me Death." Once he's done stretching, he rests his bones across the bench. "You know, you have kept me busy for a while, sending person after person my way, so I've got to thank you for that."

"Hold on, hold on...this...this isn't my imagination?" Death nods his head. "So...I'm...I'm dead?"

"Well, not yet. But in about..." Death rolls back his sleeve and reveals a watch on his skeletal arm, and begins to hum as he looks at it, "five minutes you're going to bleed out." He then releases his sleeve and rests his arms on the bench again. "So just hang tight, and I'll transport you to Hell in a few."

"Wait, wait, wait...I'm seriously dead?"

Death sighs. "For the millionth time, yes! I thought you were prepared to die? You keep saying you're glad to die, or that death will be better than living your shitty life? What the fuck happened?" Death's mouth becomes visible, but everything else in his hood is still out of sight, and he smiles. "Don't tell me...you fear death?"

My jaw dropped...I...I'm really dead. "I don't fear death...it's just that most of the time...things kind of work out for me, you know?"

Death nods his head. "Luck runs out, kid. You may get lucky a trillion times, but who knows...that trillion and one might be your downfall."

"Yeah, no kidding." I rest my hands on my chin, and place my elbows on my knee to help hold my face up as I slouch forward. "So...once I'm taken to Hell, what happens?"

Death taps his chin, and then begins to rub it. "Well, first they'll determine how much punishment you deserve for the sins you've committed in life. And to be honest, you're probably going to be joining the worst of the worst in eternal damnation."

I sigh. "Man...that sucks." Death mumbles 'mhm' in response.

"Tell you what...since your eternity is going to suck, how about you tell me your regrets? I can tell you the answer to 'what-ifs', as in, what if I hadn't done that or something like that."

Death's proposition sounds interesting. And I do remember before passing out I did want to try some things in life...but I guess I can't anymore. "Alright...what if I enrolled in school instead of taking Marcus's offer of being an assassin?"

"Ooo, jumping straight to the big ones, eh? I like it!" Without warning, Death reaches out and grabs hold of my face, and forces me to stare into the darkness of his hood. Suddenly, I begin to see colors...and soon after I see...I see me! And...and I'm surrounded by...people...? Not just Cassie, Kat, and Riven...but a whole mix of different people I've never seen before! And...it looks like I'm laughing and making them laugh...

I rip myself from Death's grip, and begin to gasp for air quickly as Death laughs. "So...what did you see? Are you content with the choice you have made?" Death's skeletal jaw reveals itself once more as he smiles in anticipation for my answer.

"I saw...I saw me laughing and having a good time with a lot of friends..." I swallow a lump in my throat that began to build up, "I looked like a fucking idiot! So yeah...I'm glad I became an assassin."

Death's smile disappears as he begins to mumble in confusion. "But- What-" ... "Why aren't you upset at your choice?"

"What do you mean? Did you even _see _how I looked...I looked like an entirely different person. A complete fool." I rest my arms on the bench as Death stares at me, and I look at the blank whiteness above me. "Alright, I no longer have regrets."

"Bullshit! That cannot be your only regret!" Death grabs his notepad from his robe once more, and begins to frantically flip through it. "What about not returning the love of Raven, or Liz, or Casey, or Flynn! What about not knowing who your parents are! What about all those people you killed! Give me something to work with man!"

It is now my turn to be confused as Death begins to sound frustrated for having no regrets. "Why are you so upset?"

"I faked that image so you could be upset! How can you possibly see it as a plus to not be able to live a normal, and happy life! What the fuck is wrong with you! Even the most psycho serial killers wished they had a friend or two when they were kids-"

I can't help but laugh at Death's confusion. "I guess the powerful Grim Reaper had some wrong information on my personality." I tell him smugly, causing him to chuckle.

"Indeed I did. Usually, I'm on the button when it comes to guessing people's deepest desires...but very rarely do I come across unique individuals who I can't read." Death then scratches his head. "Or maybe...maybe you _are _interested in having a love life...you just won't admit it."

Oh shit...I'm not going to lie I am pretty curious, but I won't let him know that. "Hmph...wrong again." Death throws his head back in laughter.

"I guess, man. Whatever helps you sleep at night!" Death rolls back his sleeve and taps the watch strapped to his wrist. "Hm...strange. It says you have another ten minutes to live when it just said five- Wait...what the fuck is going on? Your death timer is getting longer and longer!"

"Ha! What did I say! Things somehow always work out for me!" Death sighs and stands up.

"Once again, you have eluded me, Blade's Shadow. But my words still ring true..." Death holds his hand out, and his scythe begins to levitate and fly right into his hands, "luck runs out. Enjoy what little amount of time you have left...because you'll never know if it will be your last."

Death turns his back to me, and slowly fades into nothingness, leaving me alone on the bench. Even though I'm glad I have somehow survived that devastating injury, I can't help but think of how I want to live my life just a bit differently after this experience. This was the closest I've ever come to dying...so close, in fact, I met Death himself.

The only problem now...is what in the hell kind of situation am I going to wake up to?

**Back in reality, inside the small shack**

Quinn fights back her nausea as she tears off pieces of Talon's shirt and stuffs it into his stab wound to stop the bleeding. She screams to herself each time as Talon shakes violently as she puts the cloth deep into his cuts...but at the same time that movement of his calms her down since it's a sign that he's alive. Quinn sits on her knees beside Talon nervously, and taps her fingers on the wooden floor to distract herself.

After a few minutes of nothing, she notices the blood has stopped pouring out of his body and that his breathing has become steady. She blushes and fights through the embarrassment and places her ear upon Talon's chest...closes her eyes...and listens...

_***BA-THUMP* ... *BA-THUMP ... *BA-THUMP***_

She removes her head from his chest and exhales a sigh of relief. His heartbeat is calm...a good sign that his body has begun the healing process.

Finally able to relax, Quinn just sits and stares at the unconscious Talon. She then looks around the shack, and notices a chest sitting against the wall. Curious, she stands up and walks to the chest and takes a look at the lock. The padlock protecting the contents inside is rusted, so Quinn is able to yank it off with ease. She lifts the top open and gasps at the items inside.

A sleeping bag, a battery operated lantern, an empty water canteen, a bag of imperishable snacks, a compass, and a...oh...that's a porno magazine. Quinn comes the realization that this shed is someone's hideout. Possibly belonging to a criminal, or a doomsday believer. Although she knows it's wrong to take things that don't belong to her, she decides Talon could make use of these when he awakens. At the thought of his name, Quinn looks over at Talon and sees him squirming around. She quickly places everything back into the chest and rushes over to Talon's side. She notices that his blade is still attached to his arm, and decides to take it off, but as she slides it off, the Talon rolls over and knocks Quinn onto the floor beside him. He then wraps his arms around her and begins to slide his head snugly into her neck.

Quinn nearly faints at the stimulation of being cuddled by Talon, and attempts to break free. His grip, however, tightens each time she tries to slip free.

"Talon...please, let go!" She whispers in hopes that he'll hear...instead what she hears nearly melts her heart.

"Lonely..." Is all he says in his sleep.

_"Lonely? Does that mean he's lonely? Is he saying that I'm lonely?" _Quinn thinks to herself.

Not sure how to interpret Talon's response, Quinn soon succumbs to her exhaustion and desire and embraces Talon as well. Not long after, her eyes become heavy, and she falls into a peaceful slumber in the arms of Talon.

* * *

**Author's Note: Talon x Quinn seems like a popular ship. But I say nay! Talon x Duskblade of Draktharr is now canon.  
**


	39. Long Ways From Home

**Noxian High Command**

An emergency meeting is called after a letter from the Demacian Royalty states a Noxian assassin has slain the King's advisor along with a half dozen citizens, and has eluded capture.

"It states as well that if it is discovered that Noxus has taken a part in the death of their citizens, or is giving safe haven to the assassin, there will be appropriate military actions taken against us." Jericho Swain reads aloud to the large audience of governors, senators, and generals that are all taking part in the meeting. Whispers break out across the High Command floor, but are all hushed as Marcus stands and raises his hand.

"Surely there is no way to know for sure that the assassin was of Noxian affiliation." Marcus states, knowing full well that the assassin is the only dumb ass who would go on a murderous rampage in an enemy city is his apprentice. "There are bound to be Demacians who are not happy with the way things are and may take extreme action, such as with the situation right now. It is rather insulting that they would assume we would send someone to murder their citizens." Marcus's little speech has the High Command floor cheering and hollering in agreement. "I have been to Demacia before, and I have met the King and Prince. I shall personally go and sort this whole matter out." The floor claps, and compliments Marcus, which makes him feel guilty since none know the personal involvement he has.

"Marcus, are you sure you're not using that as an excuse for a vacation?" someone calls out as friendly banter.

"That's only a part of it." Marcus jokingly replies, to which people begin to laugh. The sound of a banging hammer from the front of the room silences the place.

"Now that that is taken care of, I will now let the Secretary of the Treasury, the honorable Manuel Anastasia, take the floor to speak about the proposal of cutting the military's budget to focus on education." As Swain finishes, and begins to leave the room, Marcus follows him as the room erupts in boos since no one wants to cut spending on the military.

Marcus pulls out a box of cigarettes, places one in his mouth, and offers one to Swain but he declines. He lights the smoke, and takes a drag as he walks beside Swain.

"Marcus, you can't seriously be considering a visit to Demacia?"

"I am. If we continue on with exchanging letters, it'll seem as if we don't care." Marcus takes a look at Jericho and smirks. "Well, I care a little. The last thing we need is to have another full blown war on our hands. Our economy hasn't fully recovered since the last one."

Swain chuckles as Marcus mentions the last war Noxus was involved in. "Thirty years ago...was it not? Hard to believe I've known you for thirty years."

"Stop. You'll make me feel old." Marcus says.

"You were nothing but a mere soldier when I met you. Time has really gone by since then."

"How does it make you feel that that soldier is now the same rank as you?"

Swain scoffs. "You only matched me because you're willing to do the idiotic things people tell you to do."

"Right, right...the 'Master Tactician' doesn't take orders."

"Damn right." Marcus and Swain both laugh, but only for a moment. Silence goes between them as they continue walking. "Pardon me for intruding, but whatever happened when you were researching the Black Rose?"

Marcus stops walking suddenly, causing Swain to go ahead. Swain stops as well, and turns to face Marcus. Marcus smirks and continues walking.

"Ah, that was just out of curiosity."

"You were researching an old cult out of curiosity-"

"Never mind that! Your protégé, Darius, I've taken a liking to him." Marcus quickly changes the subject, causing Jericho's mood to sour.

"He's a good man. I was told you are restarting the Crimson Elite, and that him, Gremora's girl, and your daughter are going to be the founding members."

"That's right."

"I was also told there was another boy..." Swain says in a mumble.

"What was that?"

"Ah...it doesn't matter." Swain stops as him and Marcus reach the exit of the building. "So, if you plan on leaving, do tell me what you and the Demacians discuss."

"Of course, of course!" Marcus reaches out to shake Jericho's hand, but he responds with a nod of his head as he hobbles off towards his office.

Marcus stands and stares in the direction Swain has headed and turns away.

_"The Black Rose was definitely a random topic. And there's no way Jericho knows of Talon...I hope." _He thinks to himself.

Marcus steps out through the large double doors and tosses his cigarette onto the ground. He descends the large flight of stairs in the front of the building, and heads down to the street and waves his hand out to signal for a carriage. Once inside the carriage, Marcus tells the driver where he is going, and shows him the insignia of the Noxian High Command. As the carriage begins to move, he sits back and begins to wonder if all this trouble is worth it for a boy that belongs in prison.

**At the house of DuCouteau**

Marcus exits the carriage, and walks quickly into the house. The first to greet him is Cassie, who was sitting in the living room, reading. Soon after, Kat comes down from her room to greet her father as well.

"Welcome back, father. Is everything okay?" Kat asks.

"Well...I'm going to be going on a business trip to Demacia."

Cassie gasps. "Is it for Talon?"

Marcus chuckles nervously, thinking if he should or should not tell his daughters. He gives in when Kat joins in on Cassie staring him down. "Maybe..."

"It is for Talon! I knew it!" Cassie shouts excitedly. "Father, you have to let us go!"

Kat gasps and joins in with Cassie's plea. "That's true! I must go as your...err...bodyguard!"

"I can understand why Cassie is begging, but you as well Kat?" She nods. "But what if you see that Crownguard boy again?" Kat shudders remembering that large idiot, but nods once again.

"I will prove to you that I can handle anything thrown at me! Even if...even if Talon is better than me. I will show you that I can be capable of working for you."

Marcus is stunned. He has never heard Kat so modest before. "Well...if both of my cute daughters insist, who am I to refuse?" He smiles as he pats Cassie and Kat on the head. "Start packing, we need to leave ASAP."

Cassie runs off to her room excitedly, while Kat runs to the stairs and stops. She turns back and gives Marcus a hug. "Thanks for the chance, daddy." She then quickly runs to her room, leaving Marcus alone and smiling.

He stares off for a second before a servant brings him back. "Can you pack enough clothes for a week, I have something to take care of." The servant bows and heads off. Marcus stands still in thought for a moment before he heads toward the door.

_"If I'm bringing one member of the Crimson Elite, might as well bring another." _Before he opens the door to walk across the street, he thinks. _"Will they be mad if I invite Riven?" _

**.**

**.**

**.**

_"Nah..."_ Marcus concludes.

**Back in Demacia**

The sound of the birds echoes in my head as it stirs me awake. I rub my eyes and try to lift myself up, but I begin to feel pressure as I move. I look down and find Quinn once again holding me in an embrace. Without waking her, I push her off of my chest, but as I lean to stand up I groan in pain causing her to jump up anyways.

"You're...you're awake?" Quinn asks me.

I cough and sit back down, gripping my abdomen. "Yeah...can you tell me what the hell is going on?"

She responds by coming to my side and bringing her head into my shoulder as she holds me close. I feel a wetness seeping through my shirt, so I pat Quinn on the head. "Don't cry, I'm not dead."

"I thought you were...I was afraid you were going to just die while we were sleeping." She sobs in between words. Not sure how to comfort her, I sit there, leaving my hand on her head and letting her lean on me.

"It's alright, however, I need you to pull yourself together right now." Quinn lifts her head up, and brushes away the tears in her eyes. "First, let me know what is the situation right now, second, I have to leave Demacia. Shaco shouldn't be a problem anymore...I hope."

"You're right...you're right. It was dumb of me to think you'd have to stay and marry me." As soon as Quinn mentions the time she said I needed to take responsibility, she goes red in the face and I begin to chuckle. "Don't laugh!"

"Sorry, I forgot you said that." I take a deep breath and attempt to stand on my own, but halfway up, I lose my balance. Quinn catches me, but I'm too heavy for her to hold, so we both fall back onto the floor. I catch myself so I don't completely fall on top of her, but it leaves us in a compromising position. I hover over her as she stares up at me, blushing lightly, looking at me with vulnerable hazel eyes. A lump begins to build in my throat, so I take a gulp. Something about Quinn right now makes me nervous. Her hand begins to move, and she slowly reaches for my face. Her hand begins to rest on my cheek, and time seems to stop. The only sound I hear is Quinn's breathing and my own. We gaze at each other for what seems like hours, when it really is only seconds. A sudden urge washes over me, and I begin to notice how small and pink her lips are. I slowly lean forward, attracted to her lips like a magnet.  
But the sudden screech of a bird breaks our trance, and I quickly look towards the door. I roll over from being on top of Quinn, and crawl towards my blade. Quinn stands and heads towards the door with her crossbow in hand. She cracks it open just enough to peek out of, and then opens it enough to stick her head out of, and then she fully opens it when she deems it's safe to step outside. I crawl closer to the wall, and use it as support to stand. Making sure not to hurt myself, I limp towards the door, and look outside as Quinn holds her arm out. A large shadow from the sky begins to close in on her arm, which is then replaced by the large blue eagle, Valor. Quinn pats him on the head, and says a few words before he flaps his wings, and launches back towards the sky.

Staring up into the blue yonder, she brushes her hair to the side, and begins to walk back towards the cabin. She pushes past me and walks over to a chest I've somehow missed seeing, and opens it up.

"There's some things in this chest that should help you on your trip back to Noxus, but other than that, you're on your own."

I limp over to Quinn as she reaches into the chest, and begins to place the items inside it on the floor.

"The most I can do is report back to Jarvan and tell him which direction you're heading, so he can avoid sending troops in that area to look for you." Quinn's vulnerable state is all but gone, since she has returned to full soldier mode. I nod my head and stuff the food and canteen into the sleeping bag so it won't fall out, and then I loop one of the strings used to keep the bag folded to hold onto the lantern, and use another string to attach the bag to my waist line for easier carrying. I grab the compass to check which way is East, and then attach my blade to my arm. I place the compass in my pocket and head outside the cabin. The pain is almost unbearable as I walk, but I must tolerate it unless I want to be executed in Demacia. I turn to face Quinn before I head into the forest, and nod my head. She nods back to acknowledge my goodbye. No words are spoken, and it is a quick exchange as she turns away from me and begins to rush back towards Demacia. I watch her run until the forestry conceals her from my view, and I turn to walk. Part of me regrets not saying anything but I believe it to be for the best.

And so I press on, slowly into the unknown with nothing but some food, my blade, and the clothes on my back. I highly doubt I will live to see Noxus again, but until the moment I die, I will not give up. I must see my family once again. The one thing I'd never thought I'd admit I'd have, I long to see once again. I miss my comfortable bed, I miss the incessant advances of Cassie, I miss the constant duels against Kat, I miss being loved by Riven, I miss Marcus treating me like a son, I miss it all. However, if I were to die in the middle of nowhere, I would have no regrets. I've experienced more than I ever could living in the ghetto. The memories I've made are enough for me as is, but if I can make just a few more, then I will be truly happy.

Even if they don't want to give me the name, I am a DuCouteau.

Talon DuCouteau, the Blade's Shadow.


	40. A Psycho's Goodbye

**About 25 miles outside of Demacia**

Only a day has passed since I departed, and I am making little to no progress due to the difficulties I'm having trying to walk. My stab wound is deep and needs to be stitched, but the only thing that can be done right now is making sure it doesn't bleed.

I decide to take a break as I come across a small flowing creek. I remove the bag from my waist, and grab the water canteen. There's only a few sips left, so I down the rest of the water, and begin to refill it in the creek. I then take a seat against a tree trunk and close my eyes. The only rest I've gotten since I left, was a short three hour nap, last night. Exhaustion comes over me and weakens my body until the point I can't get up. Well...more like I refuse to get up. Just another hour or two of sleep and I should be fine...

**.**

**.**

**.**

The sound of crackling leaves, and breaking sticks jolts me from my sleep. It's pitch black out, meaning that I've slept through the whole day.  
I quickly gather my things, and arm my blade and attempt to locate where the sound is coming from. I look at the direction from where I came and notice a bright light in the distance, along with multiple human figures. Knowing I'm not in the condition to run, I decide that my best bet will be to climb into the trees. I bury my sleeping bag in a shallow hole at the trunk of the tree I was sleeping on, and then grab onto the lowest hanging branch and pull myself up. The pain is mind numbing, and I almost pass out, but I keep on going. Once I have a stable foothold on the low branch, I stab into the tree with my blade, and reach around to grab onto another branch. I slowly progress upwards, trying to suppress my voice from crying out in pain. Finally, I reach the highest point I could possibly sit in, and raise my hood over my head and sit quietly as I watch the light approach closer and closer.

I'm able to hear the sound of their voices now, and of all the people in Demacia, I notice a familiar mass of muscle walking beside a familiar petite, light mage. The Crownguard siblings, accompanied by three soldiers, are now within close proximity to my tree.

"Garen, can we take a break? We've been walking for hours now!"

"No we can't! We have to find that damn Noxian before he can escape."

"He's probably long gone by now. Even Jarvan couldn't find him, and he went all the way out to Golden Crossing and searched everything within a five mile radius!"

"Lux, you can rest but I will not until I know that that Noxian is either dead, or locked away in a Demacian prison."

Lux sighs, and hands Garen the orb of light she was holding. She then holds her hand out and instantly creates another one for herself. "You can continue on, brother, I'll be here resting."

"I can't leave you here, it's dangerous!"

"Garen, I'll be fine. I'm not a little kid anymore!" There's a short silence before Garen orders his men to continue moving.

"We'll come back here in one hour and call it a night. Don't move from this area, got it?" Lux nods her head as Garen leaves, and takes a seat by the side of the creek.

Soon, Garen and his men are no longer in sight, leaving me alone with the psycho path that is Luxanna Crownguard. I begin to think of my choices that are available right now, and the pros and cons of each choice.

Choice number one, I sit in this branch for the rest of the night until their search party leaves.  
Choice number two, I reveal myself to Lux.  
Choice number three, kill Lux, and use the hour as a chance to create a distance between Garen and I.  
Choice number three is tempting, but in my current condition, Lux would beat me and give me a punishment worse than death.  
Choice number two...I have to deal with Lux again...  
Choice number one seems like the only option I have, so I remain still.

I watch her as she stands and grabs rocks from the side of the water, and places them in a circle. She then fills the circle with small sticks, and puts her hand near the center. Her eyes close, and light begins to emit from her palm. Soon after, a flame forms in the pile of sticks, so she removes her hand and sits back and watches as the fire starts to burn.  
Lux looks upwards at the tree I'm in, and smiles. I mutter curses under my breath because I know I've been found out.

"You didn't really think you could hide from me, did you Talon?"

"It was worth a try." I say as I start climbing down from the tree. Once I reach the ground, I remove my blade from my arm, and dig out my supplies. I grab my water and turn to Lux who pats on the dirt next to her. Not wanting to be too close, I sit on the opposite side of the fire from her, but it's futile as she moves and sits next to me anyways. "How long did you know I was up there?" I ask out of curiosity, and to know where I made a mistake.

"I'd say as soon as we were under the tree. Wherever my light reaches, I can see, so it wasn't that you were doing anything wrong, it's just that magic beats physics." Lux smiles, and leans her head on my shoulder and stares into the fire.

"That's scary, thinking I can't normally become the shadow I'm known for around you."

"Yeah..." Lux's words drift off, and she grabs my hand. "Are you really leaving Demacia?"

"If I stay, I'm going to be executed."

"But...but you're innocent." Lux's grip grows tighter on my hand.

"Only Jarvan, Quinn, and you know that. To everyone else, I'm an assassin that the foolish Prince allowed into Demacia."

Without warning, Lux stands with tears running down her face. "Let me go with you!"

I'm taken back by her idea, but I recover and nod my no.

"Please, Talon...you understand me. You're just like me...fucked up in the head. You accepted me...you took my first kiss. I don't want to stay in Demacia and marry a man who I don't love!" I keep nodding my head for no, but she slowly falls to her knees. "Please..."

"No."

"Please!"

"No, Lux!"

"Please, I'm begging! I don't want to live the life my family planned for me!"

"Then don't!"

"It's not that simple!" She chokes on her words and begins to sob, so I stop talking and watch as she breaks down. "They're forcing me to work for Demacia! I told them I don't want to, but they won't listen...they won't listen! I'm not like Garen, I don't want to give my life for Demacia!"

I sigh and look into the fire. There's nothing I can do to cheer her up. I can't take her with me to Noxus, and I don't know how bad her relationship with her parents is for me to say anything about the topic.

"Lux, I don't know what to say other than don't let them control you. And also, don't try and throw your life away for trash like me. I'm replaceable, a nothing, a hobo, anything just about wrong for a man, is exactly what I am." She wipes her tears away and crawls next to me and goes back to leaning on me and watching the fire.

"You might think that about yourself, but I don't." The crackle of the fire breaks the silence after Lux finishes speaking. We both sit, and I think about why she believes me to be so special. Is it because I took her first kiss? Is it because I saved her life? Or is it because I didn't turn her away after learning of her true nature? My thoughts are interrupted by Lux's voice. "So...I definitely can't escape with you?"

I chuckle. "All it would do is add kidnapping to my list of charges." Lux nods her head to show she understands. "It's also been about fifteen or so minutes, so I think it'll be best if I use the rest of my time as a head start from Garen." I stand up, and begin to gather my belongings. Once everything is on my back, and ready to go, I turn to Lux who sits by the fire, staring at me. Her blue eyes begin to grow as tears start to build up. "So...this is goodbye, Lux. Don't wait for me." I turn away from her, and begin to walk, but a small tug on the back of my shirt stops me. I turn around and see that Lux is blushing, and has small streams of tears coming from her eyes.

"Before you leave, I want to ask you if you will take what I want to give you. You are someone special, even if you don't want to believe it, even if you're not special to anyone else, you are special to me." Lux wraps her arms around my body and rests her head in my chest. "So...Talon...will you be my first?"

My body freezes, and my mind goes blank. "Your first...your first what?" Lux lifts her head from my chest, and moves her hands to my face and pulls me towards her and into a kiss. She then moves her lips to my ear and whispers to me.

_"I want to give you my virginity, you dumb idiot." _

**Inside the DuCouteaus' personal carriage**

An awkward silence ensues inside the carriage that contains Marcus, Katarina, Cassiopeia, and the non-related Riven. Kat stares outside the window, Marcus sits with his arms wrapped across his chest, Cassie is glaring at Riven, and Riven sits quietly with her arms resting in her lap, eyes closed.

"Daddy, how much longer until we reach Demacia?" Cassie breaks the silence with the question. Marcus makes a clicking noise with his mouth as he thinks.

"I'd say another fifteen hours, but that's not including any reason we'd need to stop." Cassie groans at the thought of being stuck in a small space with the one other girl who is in love with Talon. "Hey, if you're going to be upset this entire trip over me bringing Riven, then that's your problem, but don't go complaining out loud." Marcus scolds Cassie.

"Maybe I should have waited back home..." Riven says quietly.

"Nonsense! I think this trip is in your best interests. It's your first time leaving Noxus walls, is it not?"

"It is."

Marcus chuckles. "Well, count on more trips as a member of the Crimson Elite."

Riven bows her head. "Thank you, General."

"Again, call me Marcus." Riven nods her head and goes back to sitting quietly. Marcus looks to Kat who seems to have not moved an inch from staring out the window. "Kat, why are you so quiet?" Kat doesn't move, but her lips do.

"I'm just thinking...why did you want to go see Talon out of the blue?"

"Oh...you know...it's just it's been a while since we've seen him, you know?" Kat catches onto Marcus's nervous tone and looks at him suspiciously.

"Father, if I'm truly working under you, you should at least tell me the truth." Riven opens her eyes, curious to the truth behind Marcus's sudden visit. "Is everything alright?"

Marcus rubs his chin and focuses his gaze outside the window. "Maybe..." is his reply, causing Kat, Riven, and Cassie to stare down the old man.

"Father, what happened?" Kat asks bluntly. Marcus sighs in defeat, knowing that the girls would find out soon enough when they reach Demacia and notice there is no Talon there.

"Talon...allegedly..." Marcus stops himself from repeating the rest, not knowing if the girls could handle the severity of the crimes Talon has been accused of.

"What did that idiot do?" Kat asks bluntly once again.

"Allegedly! It's not proven, but...they are saying that Talon assassinated a politician close to the King, and went on a murderous rampage, killing civilians and guards, and then escaped and is nowhere to be found." Marcus lets it all out in one go, leaving Kat and Cassie stunned, but Riven unfazed. "Riven, you seem rather calm?"

"I trust Talon had his reasons for the things he did." Riven says causing Katarina to snap.

"There should be no reason for doing any of that! How could you even think of siding with Talon? He's a known murderer! He would even kill the people working under your Master!"

"You and I don't know what he goes through, so to say that what he does is wrong is not for us to say! I wasn't in Demacia, so I'm not sure why Talon killed all those people. I wasn't with him in the slums, so I'm not sure why he would murder and steal! And neither were you! What you do know about Talon, is that he is a good person, at least give him the benefit of the doubt before you immediately believe what is told to you!" Riven's sudden outburst silences the carriage. No one expected her to yell like that, but it was a solid argument that all of them could agree with. Kat slowly lowers her head and nods.

"You're right. I know who he is now. He must have had a reason." Kat agrees with Riven. "Or I want to believe he did...just try and understand me, Riven, the politician may have been corrupt and only he knew, but what about the civilians?"

"I can't answer that, but I just want to believe that it's justified." Riven, Kat, and Cassie go silent, leaving Marcus regretting he told the three the truth of the situation.

"Listen, I know you three wanted to see Talon-"

"I did not!" Kat calls out.

"Doesn't matter, but I believe this will be your most important mission so far as Crimson Elite members. Find Talon, dead or alive." Kat and Riven break a cold sweat at the seriousness of Marcus's tone, and the terrifying sound of searching for someone they know with the term 'dead or alive'. "I will keep the King and Prince distracted with business talks while you two skulk around Demacia's city and outskirts in search of him. We only have one week here, so time is of the essence."

Kat and Riven nod their heads as they accept the task that has been given to them. Fifteen hours to go until the mission begins, and from there, it will be a hunt for the boy who even the Noxian High Command and Demacian Royal Guard couldn't capture.

* * *

**A/N: **

**WHAT? ANOTHER UPDATE? You're damn right.  
And looks like things are heating up kiddos!  
**

**Will Lux successfully get Talon to smash?  
Will the newly formed Crimson Elite successfully find Talon?  
Will Goku be able to defeat the mighty Frieza?  
Find out in the next episode of "TalonBall Z"!**


	41. Emotional Moonlight

**We did it. We've hit M rating! *VANILLA SCENE THAT'S VERY MILDLY DETAILED AHEAD* **

* * *

_"I want to give you my virginity, you dumb idiot." _

She holds my hands in hers and looks me in the eyes. I'm at a loss for words. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I've never had sex before, and here before me stands Lux, ready to give herself to me. I feel like an idiot because I stand there frozen, but Lux coaxes me to the ground. She gently pushes me onto my back and stands before me. The last time I came close to doing this with her, I was high, but now we're both clearheaded and I'm not fighting back. After all, I'm still a man, and when a beautiful girl throws herself at a man, most would lose control.  
She straddles my waist and leans forward and presses her lips against mine. Her golden, silky hair brushes against my cheeks, and her scent makes me feel numb. She breaks the kiss and stares down into my eyes, as we both gasp for air.

"I don't want Jarvan to have this. I want a man that I love to take it." Lux sits up, and grabs my hands. She drags them towards her chest, where she hesitates.

"Lux, if you don't want to-"

"No! I'm just...I'm just nervous." She interrupts and begins to blush. After a deep breath, she places my hands on her breasts, causing her to let out a small moan. Her moan startles me because I think that I hurt her, but then I remember that people feel pleasure from here. Not knowing what to do, I just leave my hands there and burn into my mind how soft her breasts are. Without thinking, I slowly squeeze her mounds, eliciting another moan from her which scares me again and I stop.

"Did I hurt you?" I ask. Her breathing is heavy, and she rests her head on her chest.

"No...I'm just really sensitive." She brushes her hand through my hair, and giggles. "Are you inexperienced, too?"

"Of course. I spent most of my time living this persona called 'The Blade's Shadow'."

Lux looks up to me and kisses me gently and backs away. "You know, there can't be shadows without light." She sits up and grabs the bottom of her shirt and pulls it over her head. Her bra is lacey and white, a pure choice for a psycho girl. She tosses her shirt onto the ground, and then takes the headband out of her hair and throws it aside as well. She smiles at me and reaches around her back and begins to unhook her bra. "I know they're not that big, but I hope you like them." The click of successfully unhooking the bra seems to make time slow down. Lux slowly slides it off her shoulders, and I watch as it falls to the ground. I then can't help but stare at Lux as she sits on my waist, baring her chest. Her small, but perky breasts don perfectly pink nipples. I'm almost hypnotized by her goddess like appearance. So much so, I reach out and grab her by the shoulders and pull her into me. She's startled by my sudden attack, but she quickly obliges with my demands and meets me for another kiss. This time the kiss is sloppy for the sake of pleasure, while the others were calm and passionate. Her chest grinds against mine, and I feel her nipples harden as it brushes against me. She moans into my mouth, causing my lower parts to start to grow. It grows to the point where it bumps Lux in her precious flower, making her buck her hips and yell out in an entirely new moan. Her sudden thrust causes pain in my injury, but I ignore it as my mind has become clouded with lust. However, Lux knows she hurt me. "Sorry..."

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt that bad." She sits up and stares down at my member. It's at full mast, so she lightly brushes it through my pants, sending a jolt of pleasure through my whole body.

"Can I make you feel better?" Lux begins to tug at my belt with a pleading look in her eyes.

Nervously, I give her the 'ok', and she proceeds to release my erection from hiding. Once she sees how much control she has over me, she starts to pull down her pants. A matching lacey panty with a blue ribbon entices me. The heat from her flower is intense enough that I can feel it through her underwear. I look up from her nether region, and into her eyes. The moonlight makes the perfect background for her, and only does well to increase her beauty. Her white skin makes her look fragile like a piece of porcelain, her golden hair waves down and touches her body gently, her blue eyes pierce through me as they witness a side of me no one has ever seen before. She presses her precious area against mine, and leans down on me for another kiss. My mind goes blank as I wrap my hands around her and accept her offer of her virginity.

Tonight, I turn Luxanna Crownguard into a woman, while I, become a man.

**Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere**

The carriage has come to a stop to allow the horses and passengers to rest. Marcus sits outside with a lit cigarette in his hand, and looks up to the starry sky, and bright Moon. He walks over to the carriage, and sees that all three girls are asleep, so he continues to enjoy his smoke. As he takes a drag, he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a solid gold locket that is shaped like a heart, and clicks a button at the top that opens it up. Inside is an ticking clock, and on the other side is a photo of a red-haired woman, who resembles Katarina in almost every way. Her hair is wavy, and touches down at her shoulders. The photo also shows her wearing the exact same gold locket that rests in her bosom. Marcus holds the locket close to his heart, and looks back into the starlit night.

"Hello, Maria. Not a day goes by where the girls and I don't miss you. I hope you're not going to be mad at me, but I'm allowing Katarina to work for me now." Marcus chuckles to himself. "I know you always hated that I would encourage her interest in fighting, but it's what she wants to do. Cassiopeia is still your little princess. Prim and proper, cares for her appearance, and just an overall elegant woman." A tear falls down the side of Marcus's cheek, so he brushes it away. "I'm excited for the day I can see you, but I won't do so until I know our kids are going to live a happy, and long life. But I found a boy who I think will keep the girls in check long after I'm gone. His name's Talon, and we're all going to go find him. I just know that if you met him, you would have loved him. He's much more calm than our girls, and I know how much you hate things going crazy." Marcus chuckles again. "Which is why I still don't know why you went for a crazy soldier like me, but I won't complain." His laughter fades away along with his smile. "You made me happy. I hope I was able to do the same for you." Tears then start to rush down his cheeks once again, and get caught in his beard. "I come to you now, because life for our family has started to change rapidly, and I need to move on. I'll always love you, Maria, so I don't ever want you to think otherwise." Marcus clicks the button on the top of the locket to make it shut, and then brings it up to his lips and leaves a small kiss before he stuffs it back into his pocket.

The rustling of the leaves from the forest on the side of the road catches Marcus's attention, but he relaxes when he sees that it is just his coach driver.

"Is everything ready to go, Felix?"

"Yes, sir, but if you choose to rest longer, we can do so." The driver replies.

"No, that's fine. The sooner we get to Demacia, the better." The driver bows his head.

"Yes, sir, we shall be there by morning." The driver says as he hops into the front and wakes his horses.

Marcus steps back inside the carriage, and sits down and lets out a heavy sigh. He looks to Katarina who is asleep beside him, and then to Cassie who is asleep across from him, and smiles. He leans over and plants a kiss on both of his sleeping daughter's heads, and then sits back as he yawns. Staring into the Moon, his eyes begin to slowly shut as he drifts into sleep.

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**A/N:**** Please review as I'm always looking for criticisms/compliments! This was also my first attempt at something sexual, so it was a short chapter so I could try it out. And also, Lux x Talon fans, sorry, but your ship's sailing days are coming to an end. **

**TALON x YOUMUU FOR LIFE**

**Also, about the Alternative Class, I'll get to that when I'm feeling not as lazy. **


	42. Hostage Situation

Staring up into the starry sky, with Lux laying on my chest post coital, I can say that I feel at ease. I know that I've lost precious time giving into Lux's wish, but I can't say I didn't enjoy myself. Lux's bubbly laughter makes me place my attention towards her, but all she does when I look down at her is smile.

"We should get dressed." Lux presses herself closer to me after I say that.

"Just a little bit longer like this. I feel so close to you."

"I can't do that. I need to get going before Garen shows up." There's a silence after I say that, but Lux complies and lets me go. She begins to dress herself back up as I do the same.

"You know...I was thinking Talon." I strap my blade onto my arm and glance at Lux. "If you did get captured, I think you could find a way to escape."

I scoff. "Come on, they'd attack first and ask questions later." But Lux denies it.

"No, this is the home of justice. Even you would be given a chance in court." I grab my bag and begin walking.

"I'm not going to stay to find out, that's for damn sure." I say that, but I bump into a wall of some sort. I look around me and notice familiar lights on the corners of my cage, and turn to Lux. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Hear me out," Lux begins to twirl her hair as she paces back and forth, "even if you were caught, Demacia can't hold you down because you're you." Lux then smirks. "And I'd also break you out."

"So you're capturing me?" I start to feel around my prison to see if there are any weak points, but find none. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!" I yell out at her.

"That bloodlust!" Lux presses her face against my cell. "It's why we're meant to be together, and why I'm going to break you out of jail and force you to rely on me while you're on the run!"

"You're not only crazy, Lux, you're fucking stupid! Absolutely stupid! This idea of yours is only going to get us killed!"

"We'll never know until we try." Lux kisses the invisible prison, so I punch where she placed her lips, causing her to laugh.

In the distance, I see the light that Lux gave to Garen. I'm fucked...I'm completely fucked. I fell to temptation while knowing Lux would screw me over.

"Garen! I caught him!" Lux yells out to her brother, sending him and the soldiers with him in a sprint towards us.

"Wow! Great job, sister. How'd you find him?"

"Duh, light mage?" Garen pats his sister on the head and walks over to me.

"Consider your days over, scum. Any last words before we bind you and drag you to the guillotine, Noxian?"

I smirk. "I fucked your sister."

Garen freezes and charges at my cell but can't break through. "You take that back! You did nothing of the sort!" Garen looks to Lux. "Tell me he's lying!"

Lux nervously laughs. "Y-yeah! He's lying alright!" Garen turns his attention back to me.

"You're lucky I'm not allowed to kill you. Those who make those sorts of comments about my precious little sister deserve nothing less than death."

"Your little sister is now a little woman." I lean against the light prison while keeping a smug look at my face. "Her moans of pleasure are forever burned into my memory." I then begin to laugh, while Garen shakes in anger. He reaches behind his back and begins to unsheathe a large sword.

"I said..." he points the sword at me, "take that back. Quit telling such disgusting lies."

"Garen, I think you should calm-" Garen holds his arm out to silence Lux.

"I won't let this Noxian talk that way about you. I will make him apologize." At this point, I'm just pissing him off since I have nothing better to do.

"Almost like how I made your sister moan in pleasure." I start to laugh once again when a load crash silences me. Garen has swung with all his might against my container, and has actually made a crack in it. He reels back for another swing, and makes the crack even bigger. Lux calls out for the soldiers to stop him, so they try and grab Garen's arms to hold him back, but he tosses them away as if they were nothing.

"I'm going to give you some Demacian Justice, you motherfucker!"

"Actually I'm a sister-" Before I can finish, Garen yells out in a battle cry, and at the same time shatters my bonds. I'm stunned at first, but I quickly recuperate and take off in a sprint.

"After him! Kill him!" Garen yells out to his guards as they start to chase after me.

It's not long before they close the distance on me, and the first guard to reach me with a spear in hand, lunges forward in an attempt to stab me. I sidestep it, and teleport behind him. He's quick to react and swings his spear at me, but I duck and pierce his gut with my blade. I shove him off and let him fall to the floor before Garen comes charging after me with two more soldiers. I look at Lux who trails behind them and teleport behind her. I grab hold of her and hold my blade to her throat causing Garen and the soldiers to stop.

"One fucking move and I'll kill her!"

"Oooh~" Lux purrs.

"Shut the fuck up, Lux!" I press the blade closer causing a little bit of blood to come out. "Drop your weapons!" I yell out.

Garen complies immediately, his soldiers are slow to follow my order but Garen whispers something to them, so they drop their weapons as well.

"Here's how it's going to go down, Garen. I'm keeping Lux hostage until I can get a good distance away from this place. I'm taking her with me to the nearest town and going to leave her there. You will not fucking pursue me until tomorrow night, got it?"

Garen's face twists into a look of hatred and anger, but with a hint of fear. He nods his head slowly showing that he agrees with my terms. "You won't hurt her...right?" I stay silent for few moments, but I respond.

"As long as you do as I say, your sister will remain unharmed and will be found at the nearest town...which is?" I ask Garen about where I should go. He points his finger.

"Keep heading in that direction. You'll come across the main road in about two hours of walking, and from there it's another mile southbound to the town of Erindale."

I begin to walk backwards making sure Garen and his men don't come chasing after, but I turn my back to them and whisper to Lux. "Alright, I guess you're coming with me." Lux begins to smile.

"Yay! I knew you couldn't leave me behind!" I push her in front of me, and hold my blade in her back as we start walking.

"I should fucking kill you right here, so don't push your luck."

I keep my blade at her back, and hold my other hand on her shoulder to keep her in check. There's nothing stopping me from killing her, but since I was caught in sort of an emotional epiphany part of my life, I sympathize with Garen. I'm not sure how I would feel if someone did what I did to Katarina or Cassie.

"You know-" Lux tries to speak but I interrupt.

"Shut the fuck up. I want absolute silence."

"So commanding! So sexy~" I grunt in annoyance, but thankfully Lux stops talking.

It's going to be a long walk...

**Meanwhile, in the town of Erindale**

Marcus's eyes blink awake when he feels the carriage has stopped moving. He opens the small window that connects the driver to the passengers.

"Felix, why did we stop?"

"My apologies, sir, but I need to do a quick inspection. I felt as if the wheel was coming loose."

"It's fine, it's fine. I think we could all use a stretch." Marcus closes the slit, and opens the carriage door. He then begins to nudge the girls to wake them up. They all blink in confusion, but Kat mumble to herself, and rubs her eyes.

"Are...are we in Demacia yet?" She asks.

"No, we're doing a quick pit stop. I thought it would be best for us to stretch out and grab some food." Marcus steps out of the carriage, followed by Kat. He holds his hand out to assist her down, and does the same for Cassie and Riven. "We'll be at the inn, Felix, so just call us when you're ready." Felix nods his head, and continues with his inspection of the carriage as Marcus and the girls walk through the door of an inn called 'Old Warrior's Rest'. The main room, which serves as a mixture of a restaurant and bar, only has two people sitting inside it, with an old and rather roundish woman behind the bar counter. Marcus tells the girls to take a seat as he walks to the counter. The woman places her full attention on Marcus and presses her breasts together as she leans over the counter and fails at smiling seductively.

"Welcome to the 'Old Warrior's Rest', handsome." She winks, causing snickers from the girls. Marcus contains his laughter as well.

"Thanks...is it alright to order food now?"

"Of course! There's not a lot I can make up since it's so late, but I could whip up some of today's special."

"Perfect. Can we get four orders?" She smirks.

"Sure thing, handsome." She winks and heads to the kitchen.

Marcus heads to the table where the girls are sitting, and is immediately bombarded by comments.

"Barf, daddy, she was so into you!" Cassie says.

"That was...uncomfortable to watch to say the least." Katarina adds in, as Riven nods in agreement.

"Well, what can I say? I'm just too charming." Marcus boasts causing the girls to giggle.

"Sure you are, daddy." Cassie smirks and pats her dad on the shoulder. The door to the inn opens, and in steps Felix as he rushes over to Marcus.

"Sir, it appears as if along the way the axle was damaged. It's going to take me another couple of hours to repair."

"Okay. Then we'll just stay here for the night, and leave in the morning." Felix bows his head and steps back outside. As Felix exits, the innkeeper comes out of the kitchen with a platter of the same dish. She walks around the table, placing a plate in front of each person.

"Enjoy the meal!" She walks away from the table and goes back behind the counter. Marcus looks down at the food as the aroma hits his nostrils and makes his stomach growl. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies, a solid and hearty meal he thinks as he begins to chow down.

Once everyone finishes, Marcus stands and walks back to the counter. The woman does her same routine as she tries to look appealing.

"How much do I owe you, and also I'd like to rent two rooms for the night."

"The food's on the house since it was leftovers. The rooms are five gold coins each." Marcus bows his head, and reaches into his pocket for his bag of money. He pulls out ten coins and places it in the woman's hand. She places the coins in her pocket and hands Marcus two keys. "The room numbers are on the keys. Have a great stay, handsome!" Marcus smiles at her, and walks back to the table.

"Alright, so I'm going to go knockout. You girls figure out the rest." He tosses one key on the table, and heads up stairs where the rooms are located. He heads into his, shuts the door behind him and drops onto the bed.

The girls left behind at the table all stare at the single key. "Maybe there's enough space for us in one room..." Katarina says as she grabs the key and heads upstairs while being followed by Cassie and Riven. She unlocks the door, and opens it up to reveal that there are only two beds. Katarina sighs. "Okay, looks like you and I are sharing a bed Cass-" Cassie bolts to a bed and scoffs.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm sharing a bed!"

Kat rubs her temples, and turns to Riven. Riven shrugs. "I don't mind sharing a bed with you."

"Thank you, Riven. You're so courteous unlike some people..." Kat glances at Cassie, but she's already asleep. Kat takes off her boots and jacket, and places them on top of the night stand by the bed. Kat slides into the bed and moves as far as she can go to the wall to make space for Riven. The caramel beauty crawls into bed as well, so Kat tosses the blanket over the both of them and turns and faces the wall. She tries to close her eyes and sleep, but just can't get comfortable enough with Riven in the same bed. She tosses and turns for a few minutes before stopping. "Sorry for moving around a lot, Riven...I just can't seem to-" Kat rolls over to face Riven, but notices that she's fast asleep. Kat sighs and turns back to the wall and tries to zone out. She begins to picture herself back in her room in Noxus, counting all of her knives. The count soothes her, but as she gets close to sleep, an arm around her waist startles her. She looks behind her and notices Riven has rolled around in her sleep. Kat tries to move her arm, but it only worsens the situation as Riven pulls Kat closer to her body, and begins to hold her close. "Riven! Can...can you please let me go!" She tries to wiggle out, but the difference in strength is too much for her.

"Mmm...Talon..." Riven mutters to herself and slides a hand over Katarina's chest, causing her to let out a whimper. Kat places a hand over her mouth to keep her from yelling out loud and disturbing others, but keeps trying to wiggle away from the groping Riven. She only becomes more rough in her squeezing, and begins to drive Kat crazy as Riven begins to nibble on her earlobe. Kat's begging for Riven to stop falls on deaf ears.

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**A/N: From Thief to Legend is the third most reviewed Talon story on the site! Neato! Not bad for my first fanfic ever lol. But we can't stop until we hit "r-r-r-rank 1" -Tyler1.**

**Please review, and favorite/follow if you enjoy the story! Appreciate all the support!**


	43. Reunion

Three hours of anger, three hours of silence, three hours of turning my head back to make sure I wasn't followed. Three painful hours of nonstop walking. All the while, Lux kept that same aggravating smile on her face. She doesn't understand that the contempt I feel for her now is real. Finally, the outline of the buildings in the town of Erindale come into view.

"You're going to use your status as a Crownguard and get a room at the inn." I speak for the first time since we started walking, so Lux turns her head slightly to look at me. "We'll rest there, and in the morning, I'm leaving. You however, will remain there. If you even dare to leave the room before your brother comes to pick you up..." I chuckle, "I will kill you."

Lux smirks and stretches her arms above her head as we continue walking. "Still holding onto that anger?"

"Shut up." I shove her to make distance between us. "You've been a pain in the ass since the moment I met you. And just when I was starting to think you were tolerable, you went and turned me in to your brother."

Lux stops momentarily, but continues walking but at a slower pace. "You make it sound bad..."

I catch up to Lux, but push her again. "Don't stop walking. And yes, it sounds bad because what you did was bad. You caught me while I was vulnerable and sold me out. That's unforgivable, and if I wasn't in the middle of some emotional shit, I would have killed you in front of your brother."

Lux stops once again, but doesn't continue walking. "Is...is that so?" Her body begins to shake, and she slowly falls to her knees. "You...you aren't kidding when you say you hate me...and you're going to kill me." I stand beside her and look down. Normally I'd see the playful or psychotic blonde girl before me, but as I look down, I see an entirely new person. This Lux is scared...of me. I reach down to grab her arm, but she pulls herself away. "P-please don't kill me, Talon. I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

She begins to rapidly apologize thinking that the more she says it, the more likely it will be that I'll forgive her. I begin to laugh uncontrollably as her words grow quieter and quieter. I quickly grab her arm, and pull her onto her feet. "Keep walking. Get a room at the inn. Stay in the room until you're picked up by Garen." I repeat to Lux, and poke her in the back with my blade. She complies and begins to walk. "Glad you finally understand the position you're in. It'll make things much easier." The newfound fear Lux has of me is an alien feeling, but if it gives me control over her, then I'll adjust.

As we walk into town, I remove my blade from my arm and hold it in my hand. The town is lifeless since it's late at night, but the sound of hammering and a small light catches my attention. Lux and I walk over to a man working on a carriage. It's suspicious to be out this late doing such a thing, so I hold my blade closer. He spots us and pulls himself out from under the ride.

"May I help you two?"

"We're looking for the town's inn, if you could help us out." The man points to a building at the other end of town.

"It's called the 'Old Warrior's Rest', and should be the only place with the lights on." The man then returns to working on the carriage as Lux and I begin to walk.

"Talon...don't you think the innkeeper is going to find it...odd...that a Crownguard is renting a room with a boy in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere?"

"That's true, but you'll tell them that it's none of their fucking business. Simple as that." Lux nods, and we continue on through the front door of the place.

An old woman sits behind the bar counter while reading a book, but closes it as we walk through the door. Her jaw drops when she spots the Crownguard walking beside me quickly comes from behind the counter to greet us.

"The Lady of Luminosity, Luxanna Crownguard! What an honor for you to come to my inn!" The woman bows her head, and then glances at me. "Oh my..." She smirks and chuckles.

"Can...can we have a room?" Lux asks meekly, but the woman responds with a resounding voice.

"Of course, of course!" She begins to walk behind the counter, and grabs a key and walks back to us. "I was young at one time, too, believe it or not! Enjoy your night!" The woman winks and walks back to the counter and stares at us as we head up the stairs. I guess this woman was into forbidden love type of things, which made everything much easier.

Lux unlocks the door to our room, and closes the door behind us when we're both inside. I take a seat on one of the two beds in the room as Lux sits on the other. Lux places her hands in her lap, and looks to the floor as I remove my shirt and begin to take a good look at my wound. Dried blood and dirt cakes the outer layer, while the inner layer is still open. I stand up and walk inside the bathroom and turn on the shower. I touch the water to check the temperature...and it's ice cold. I walk out into the room while I wait for the water to heat up and look through the dressers by the bed for a towel. I find one and turn to Lux.

"Get some sleep." She looks up to me with tears in her eyes, but I pay it no mind as I turn my back to her and walk inside the bathroom. "We've both had a long day." I shut the door and begin to undress myself before heading into the shower. I step into the shower and my muscles begin to relax when the hot water rushes down my body, but it stings as it touches my cut. I look around and notice that the shower holds a bar of soap, and a small bottle of shampoo for guest use. I grab the soap and rub it in between my hands then put it down when my hand is covered in bubbles. I softly scrub around my wound, scraping off the grime surrounding it. It's painful, but at the same time I'm glad that I'm able to properly clean it.

I start unwinding too much that I don't even notice the bubbles that begin to fall inside the cut. I grip my abdomen and fall to my knees with a loud crash. I collect myself and turn the water off as Lux begins to knock on the door.

"Are you okay, Talon?" She asks through the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine...can you ask the innkeeper if she has any spare clothes for a guy?"

"Sure, I'll be back in a few minutes." When I hear the bedroom door open and close, I climb out of the shower and grab my towel. I dry off my body, my hair, and lightly touch around my wound. The bedroom door opens once again, and Lux knocks on the bathroom door once more. I wrap the towel around my waist, and open the door. Lux holds a folded white t-shirt, a pair of boxers, a pair of black nylon shorts, white long socks, cloth, gauze, and tape. "Apparently some guy left his stuff here and never came back for it." She hands me the clothes, and then looks to my wound. "It looks better now that it's clean, but it's still open, so I asked for these bandages."

"Oh...thanks." I close the door as I put the shorts on, and then open it again. "Could you do the bandages for me? I never learned how to do it." Lux forms a small smile on her lips and walks into the bathroom with the medical items in her hand. She places the gauze on the counter, and begins to unravel the cloth. She begins to roll the cloth around me, and quietly giggles. "You laughing at me because I don't know first aid?"

"No, I'm just laughing because of things."

"Things like...?" Lux extends the cloth off my body and rips it. She holds the cloth on my body as she grabs the gauze and begins to wrap it over the cloth.

"The mind."

"The mind?"

"Mhm. More specifically, my mind." Lux tears the gauze, and then tapes the end she tore off to the first layer. She places everything down, and steps out into the bedroom and plops onto her back to stare at the ceiling. "As you can tell, I've got multiple personalities." I step out of the bathroom, and lean on the doorway. I'm surprised to hear that she knows she has a problem. "I don't know why I did what I did back in the forest, Talon, but I want you to know, that I genuinely am sorry."

"I can't say that I'll forgive you, but if it's any consolation, let's just say that I'm mad at the Lux that tried to turn me in, and not the Lux you are right now." It's pointless to be angry at a mentally unstable person. Even Jarvan told me a while ago that the magic inside her caused these problems.

"Thanks for understanding me. And also..." Lux rolls on her side to look at me, "I really do love you." I stare at her to see which Lux is talking, but she smiles when our eyes meet. "I'm the normal Lux, dummy."

I sigh and put the t-shirt and socks on. "I hate how you're able to see right through me." She giggles as she watches me slide my shoes on. "I'm going to go get some air. You should get some sleep." I stand up and grab the room key, locking the door behind me, and then walk down the stairs and out of the inn.

The cool, night air wafts through my wet hair, and soothes my body. Staring at the starry sky, I begin to zone out and steady my breathing to calm my mind after one hell of a night.

I take a deep breath in...  
And then exhale.  
I repeat the process over the course of the next five minutes, when the door to the inn breaks my concentration. The figure of a man stands right beside me, but it's too dark to see any specific features. A small bit of light comes when he pulls a match from his pocket, and lights the cigarette hanging in his mouth, revealing his brown yet graying beard.

"You alright?" The man asks after he takes a puff of his cigarette. The question confuses me, so he clarifies. "I'm assuming you're the one who sounded like he was in pain."

"Oh...yeah, I'm alright." The man holds out a pack of cigarettes and offers me one, but I decline. "Did I disturb you?"

"I was woken up, but it's fine, I needed a smoke break."

"I see...my apologies." The man chuckles.

"Don't apologize, I should be thanking you in fact." The man looks up into the sky as he takes a drag from his smoke. "It would be a damn shame to miss a night as beautiful as this."

"Is that so? I guess you're right. It's an unusually relaxing night." I take a seat on the patio of the inn, while letting my feet stay on the dirt road. The man tosses his cigarette into the dirt and stomps it out.

"You sound young, but you talk as if you've seen the world ten times over."

"I am young, but I've only seen the shit side of the world. It's only been rather recent that some good has happened in my life."

"You shouldn't talk like that if you're young." The man then chuckles. "Then again, I don't know your story, so I'm not one to talk. But I can at least give you my story." Oh boy...I'm about to listen to an old man ramble on about his past. Yay... "When I was young, I lost my father in a war that has long since been over with." Okay... "My mother, stricken by grief, committed suicide, leaving me as an orphan to fend for myself." Wait a second...this is...familiar. "I began to hate the world, wondering how could my parents, the ones who were supposed to take care of me, and love me, just abandon their child to take on a world in utter chaos."

The man continues on with the story, when it clicks in my head where I've heard this before. "Marcus...?" I mutter, silencing the man. I look up at the shadow, and then stand so I can try to see his face. His hands move and he lights another match and holds it up to our heads so we see each other visibly. I nearly drop in shock when I see that it's the one and only, Marcus DuCouteau. "What the fu-" My voice is cut off when Marcus suddenly hugs me. Without knowing why, I begin to go weak in the legs, and am forced to fight back tears. "W-what the hell are you doing here?"

"We...we all came to find you, Talon." Marcus's hug slowly gets tighter, and soon it turns into a death grip. "What the fuck were you thinking, killing all those people. You better have some sort of excuse or else I'm going to be the one who executes you."

I violently tap on Marcus's shoulder to let him know I can't breathe, so he releases me. "Black...Rose..." I say as I'm gasping for air. "The Demon Jester...was sent by the Black Rose...to kill me. In the meantime, for entertainment...he killed all those people for fun. Because I was Noxian, I took the fall for it even though the Prince knew I was innocent."

"The Demon Jester...is he still following you?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't showed himself in a few days though because we sort of had a one on one fight. It ended in a tie when we nearly killed each other."

"He nearly killed you?" I nod my head and lift my shirt to reveal the large bandages wrapped around my body.

"Stabbed me right in the gut. Luckily, that Demacian scout, Quinn, saved me." Marcus begins to laugh and places a hand on my shoulder. "Wait...you said we?" Marcus begins to laugh even harder.

"Come with me, Talon." Marcus opens the door to the inn, so I follow him back up the stairs, where he stands beside a door. "Knock." Is all he tells me before he goes back into his room.

I comply and knock lightly three times. There's no response for a few seconds, but the door slowly opens, and to my surprise is a sleepy Katarina, rubbing her eyes. She yawns and looks at me. "Hi, Talon."

"Hi, Kat."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Talon!" The realization finally hits her, causing her to shout.

"Shh...shh..." I motion my hands for her to quiet down. I yank her out of the room and shut the door behind her. "I saw Riven and Cassie in there, I'm not trying to have some loud ass reunion."

"I...I understand, but what are you doing here?"

"That's a long story, so I'm not going to say. Anyways...you think you can kill me, yet? I've given you a pretty good amount of prep time." Katarina smiles.

"Doubt it...but since you're back...you should know that Marcus's elite assassins is no longer a thing. You're officially a member of his new Crimson Elite."

"I'm honored. And you really can't kill me? Are you all talk, still?"

She begins to laugh, and throws me off when she suddenly gives me a hug. "It's good to have you back, loser."

"It's good to be back, bitch." I place my hand on top of her head, and we both share a moment of laughter before she breaks the embrace.

"You seem a lot gentler. Did Demacia ruin you?"

"Let's just say, I went through some shit."

"Sounds heavy..."

"You don't even know the half of it." We ramble on with small chit-chat to catch up, while in the back of my mind, it dawns on me that we have a big problem sleeping in my room. "Umm...we should probably go talk to Marcus...I just remembered something important." Katarina is confused, but walks to Marcus's door and knocks. He says the door is open, so she twists the knob and lets herself inside, followed by me.

"You kids were talking quite a bit, you miss each other that much?" Marcus teases Kat, causing her to punch him in the arm.

"Alright, it's time to get serious, cause I completely forgot about something I should have said to you first, Marcus."

"Hmm?"

"Well...a few hours ago, in the middle of the forest, things went out of control when a group of guards nearly caught me. To make a long story short, I took Luxanna Crownguard hostage and she's asleep in my room."

Marcus smacks his forehead, while Kat looks to be deep in thought.

"Crownguard...that name sounds so familiar..." Kat says.

"It's the family of that boy, Garen, remember?" Marcus replies, causing her to go pale in the face. "Talon...please tell me you're joking."

"Okay..." Marcus sighs in relief. "I'm not though..."

"The point of lying to me is to make me feel better."

"But there's no point in lying when it's something as serious as this."

"True...tell me...what was your plan for bringing her here?"

"Her brother, Garen, and some soldiers were going to come tomorrow night to pick her up because I was going to leave her here while I left. I said that if they followed me, I'd kill her."

"Talon, sometimes you're an absolute psychopath."

I smirk. "Then wait until you meet Lux."

I walk out the door, and walk over to my room and place my room key into the knob. The click of the lock opening signals for me to turn the knob. Marcus and Katarina are behind me as I open the door, so I let them in. Lux begins to toss and turn as we step inside, and then she wakes up with an expression of confusion.

"Talon? What's going on?" Lux asks.

"There's been a change in plans. You've met General DuCouteau, and Katarina DuCouteau before, correct?"

Lux looks at the two new guests in the room, and her face lights up as she smiles and hops out of bed. She rushes over to me and hugs me to the point where she's off the ground. "I knew you couldn't leave me behind! I knew you wanted to take me to Noxus! We're going to have a beautiful wedding ceremony, Talon! Then we're going to have a lot of kids! And I mean..." Lux hangs off my neck, and looks me in the eyes, "and I mean..._a lot_."

I toss her off of me, and push Kat and Marcus outside my room and shut the door behind us. Kat looks stunned, while Marcus looks at me.

"Talon...what the fuck is that thing?" Marcus asks me.

"That thing...is Luxanna Crownguard. The real one that is, and not the fake one she shows to the public."

"But...why was she like that?" Kat asks as her face is bright red.

"She...she thinks that we're destined for each other because I discovered who she truly was, and didn't think differently of her." I scoff. "Truth being, I always thought lowly of her." The door begins to move as Lux tries to pull it open, but I hold it shut.

"You can't lock me away forever, Talon, I'll always be with you." She says it through the door.

"I'm not talking to you unless you're the normal Lux." The door stops moving.

"Okay...I'll be good." Is the reply. I release the door knob, and Lux calmly strolls out of the room. She turns to Marcus and Katarina and bows her head. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Anyways, I heard what happened from, Talon, so instead of waiting here until tomorrow night, I'm going to take you back in the morning and drop you off at your house." Marcus says.

Lux smiles. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"What about me, Marcus? I can't go back to Demacia!"

Marcus scoffs. "Fuck you."

* * *

**A/N: There's rumors that a minor Talon rework is coming later this year. Changing his passive to help his auto attacks and nerfing his AoE. These are just rumors though...and I hope they don't nerf his damage but change that god awful passive.  
Also, next time you see someone who picks Zed mid over Talon mid, promptly flame them, and run it down mid. **


End file.
